Stolen French bulldog puppy reunited with owner after thief drives off with truck

A 5-month-old French bulldog that was stolen after a thief took off in a work truck with the puppy inside is back in the safe hands of his owner.

The Glendale Police Department announced Monday that the puppy, named Cain, had been reunited with his owners after the missing dog and vehicle were recovered by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Sgt. Dan Suttles, a Glendale police spokesman, said the truck was discovered abandoned in the parking lot of a church about 36 hours after it was stolen. People at the church called police after spotting Cain inside the vehicle.

“Other than being a little dehydrated, the dog was fine,” Suttles said. “It’s a much happier ending than what it could’ve been.”

The dog was first reported missing Thursday after the truck was stolen sometime around 3 a.m. near Broadway and Orange Street.

Suttles said the vehicle’s owner works as a commercial power-washer and had left the truck running to keep the dog warm inside while he worked on top of an adjacent building.

Although the owner could see the truck from where he was working, it was stolen without his noticing.

“At the Police Department, everybody kind of dropped what they were doing and put as much effort into this case as they could when they heard about [it],” Suttles said. “Everyone’s relieved to hear the dog is doing fine.”

In addition to Cain, the truck also contained a pressure washer and several other pieces of work equipment. It was not immediately clear whether those items were recovered.

Nguyen writes for Times Community News.