Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/french-bulldog-bugsy-stolen/

A Florida man was walking his dog when someone robbed him at gunpoint. But the thief wasn’t after his money or car keys. What the man wanted was his French Bulldog, Bugsy, whose high retail value makes his breed a common target for dog thieves.

The dog’s owner, Johnny Matos, was shocked after the thief ran off with his dog, even after all the stories about French Bulldogs being stolen in the news. “You’re thinking this can’t be happening? Not here in Florida,” Matos told WESH2.

But Bugsy’s disappearance would lead police to an even more alarming discovery.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s department, Bugsy’s dognapping wasn’t a crime of opportunity. Bugsy’s brazen dognapping leddetectives to an underground dog trafficking ring.

According to the station, Detective Mike Peers began receiving tips about the dog’s disappearance just two days after Bugsy was taken. One tip named two Florida men suspected of stealing dogs from pet stores in Western Florida.

“These suspects broke into high-end pet stores to essentially steal dogs, breed them and make money,” Detective Peers toldWESH2.

After the pups were stolen, the animals were allegedly brought to Bobby Rivera, a criminal collaborator who conducted illegal operations from his Florida house. This is where Rivera, who was also known as “Dogman,” apparently replaced the stolen dogs’ microchips with blank microchips to ensure they’d never be found.

Upon raiding Rivera’s property, officers reportedly found an “operating room” as well as multiple dogs squeezed into a single cage.

“When detectives started investigating the robbery of a #frenchbulldog named Bugsy – ripped away from his owner at gunpoint off Hiawassee Road in March – they had no idea it would lead them into a dark, disturbing world of dog trafficking and puppy “Chop Shops,” Florida’s Orange County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Twitter, with the hashtag #AnimalCruelty.

When detectives started investigating the robbery of a #frenchbulldog named Bugsy – ripped away from his owner at gunpoint off Hiawassee Road in March – they had no idea it would lead them into a dark, disturbing world of dog trafficking and puppy “Chop Shops”#AnimalCruelty pic.twitter.com/ShNq9EduJs

— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) November 5, 2021

Fortunate, detectives were able to rescue Bugsy before he was resold on the black market. Not only did their excellent detective work reunite the dog and his owner, it helped save other dogs from meeting similar fates.

“Don’t make me cry on camera, it’s amazing,” owner Johnny Matos said when asked how it felt to be reunited with Bugsy after this terrifying ordeal. “It’s great to have him home.”

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog