HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) – A South Florida woman is calling for the return of her service dog after, she said, she ran away and was then stolen.
Speaking with 7News on Saturday, Maria Diambri said a man was caught on surveillance video taking 1-year-old Susi, Friday afternoon.
Diambri said Susi took off while she was working at a store off Funston Street and South State Road 7 in Hollywood.
“I was working at the office, and the dog just ran away,” she said. “We noticed, like, [she was gone] maybe 10 minutes after, or five minutes.”
Diambri said a man who also works at the store found the dog. The surveillance video shows the employee carrying the brown toy poodle until a gray Lexus pulls around.
The employee is seen handing over Susi to the driver who, Diambri said, claimed it was his dog. Moments later, the driver sped off.
“The guy just gives [Susi] to him, like, without any asking or any questions,” said Diambri.
Diambri said Susi is a trained service dog, but she doesn’t know how to be outside without a leash on.
“When we see the time for the cameras, it was, everything was so fast,” she said. “It was just right, seven minutes, after she ran away from inside the store.”
Diambri said this is difficult to process, something unimaginable if one has never experienced it.
The heartbroken dog owner said she is worried about what could be happening to Susi.
“We are doing everything that we can. We are working with a detective as well, we already called the police,” she said. “But it was Friday. During the weekend, everything is so slow, checking all the cameras, there are so many stores that are still closed.”
Now Diambri is fearing the worst.
“I’m pretty sure that guy took it for – to sell her, you know, because she’s a female, she’s not spayed, 1 year old,” she said.
Diambri said she is offering a reward in the hopes of getting her service dog back. Anyone with information on Susi’s whereabouts is urged to call 786-795-4049.
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