Police search for suspects after dog stolen in Kitchener, Ont.

A Kitchener, Ont. woman is pleading for the safe return of her puppy, an eight-month-old French Bulldog named Sanchi.

Estella Pineda Benitez claims two strangers knocked on her door Friday night and forced their way into her home near Glasgow and Walter Street.

She said one of them made a gesture in his shirt like he was carrying a weapon.

“He said: ‘Don’t move’, so I thought when people do that, maybe they have a gun,” Benitez told CTV News on Monday.

They stole Sanchi and then fled in a car waiting outside.

Sanchi in an undated photo. (Courtesy: Estella Pineda Benitez)

Benitez said she chased after the vehicle. 

“I was like: 'Hey! Stop! Let Sanchi [go]!'” she recalled. “Some lady stopped and was like: 'Are you okay?' and I said: ‘They robbed my dog.”

Benitez took a quick video as the vehicle drove off. In it, you can see and hear a car driving away quickly.

“Someone was in the front and [the men] went in the back,” she said.

Benitez regrets that she wasn’t able to get a clear shot of the license plate.

In the days since Sanchi was taken, Benitez has been putting up missing posters around her neighbourhood.

Estella Pineda Benitez puts up a poster of her missing French Bulldog Sanchi. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

She’s concerned about Sanchi’s safety and worries he might have been targeted to sell to someone else.

“I feel very, very angry,” she said. “I don’t know why people would do that. Like, go get your own dog.”

On Monday morning she packed up her things and moved as she no longer feels safe in her home.

Benitez said she’ll be living in a pet-friendly apartment moving forward but she’s hoping she won’t be alone.

“I hope I find him and I hope the people that did it will bring back my dog, my baby, my Sanchi.”

Estella Pineda Benitez puts up a poster of her missing French Bulldog Sanchi. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

‘Targeted’ incident

The Waterloo Regional Police Service said they’re investigating the incident and are asking anyone with information to give them a call.

The suspects are described as a white man and woman. They both had thin builds.

Police also released an image of the vehicle allegedly involved. They want to speak to the driver or owner of the vehicle.

Police believe the incident is targeted and said there is a concern that the dog could be sold to another owner.

Waterloo Regional Police are trying to identify and speak to the owner of a vehicle after a dog was reportedly stolen from a Kitchener home. (Courtesy: Waterloo Regional Police Service)

Ground Search and Rescue KW

Ground Search and Rescue KW has been helping reunite pet owners and their lost or stolen pets for the last decade.

The group said they’ve heard about similar pet thefts in Waterloo Region before.

“Unfortunately, in our society right now, everyone is desperate for money,” Katt Burtenshaw said.

She believes Sanchi could have been targeted because of his breed.

“Often, when these dogs are stolen and targeted, they already have a seller in mind and often the new owners are very unaware that they were stolen,” Burtenshaw said.

Her advice to pet owners is to share their stories.

“Making everyone aware, so on any kind of social media. And keeping an eye on platforms like Kijiji,” Burtenshaw suggested. 

On Wednesday, the group told CTV they’ve already received a handful of tips from the community and said it’s encouraging.

They’re hoping people continue to reach out and want to remind the public that tips can be anonymous.

Burtenshaw said pet owners should take the proper precautions that could help you if your pet is lost or stolen.

“Microchipping your pets definitely helps because when you microchipped them, they are identified to you. So if they go to any vet they are listed with your number and they're registered to you.”

The group said they share all tips and information they receive with police and are working closely with them.