Man steals French bulldog puppy from Aurora pet store

A French bulldog puppy valued at $6,000 was stolen Wednesday afternoon from a pet store at the Fox Valley Shopping Center in west suburban Aurora.

The puppy was stolen about 1:40 p.m. from the Furry Babies pet store, 2352 Fox Valley Center Drive in Aurora, according to a statement from Aurora police. A man walked into the store, picked the puppy up out of a crib while employees were waiting on other customers and ran away.

Employees chased him through an adjacent department store, where the man ran out the upper-level doors, police said. He then ran across New York Street and into a restaurant parking lot and got into a waiting silver SUV, which drove away.

A Facebook post by Furry Babies described the dog as a cream-colored male French bulldog with “bright green eyes.”

The suspect was described as a man in his late teens to early 20s standing between 5-foot-9 and 6-foot-1 and weighing 145 to 160 pounds, police said. He had a thin mustache and was wearing a tan baseball cap, a black jacket and tan khakis.

The SUV he got into may have been a Lincoln Navigator or Aviator with temporary license plates and 22-inch chrome rims, police said.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call investigators at (630) 256-5500; Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000; or Furry Babies at (630) 820-5868.