8 pit bull puppies stolen from Southeast DC home

WASHINGTON - A Southeast D.C. resident is speaking out after a litter of eight pit bull terrier puppies was stolen from his home over the weekend.

5-week-old puppies stolen, were set to be adopted

What we know:

The five-week-old puppies were taken on Sunday from a residence on Benning Road Southeast, and neither the dogs nor the suspect have been located, according to police. 

The puppies' owner, Marlon Zanders, discovered the theft upon returning home from a short vacation on Sunday. He said the break-in occurred during a narrow window of time between the departure of his dog sitter and Zanders' arrival home.

Upon pulling up to his house, Zanders said he noticed an open window and his air conditioning unit sitting on the ground. Inside the home, he found the puppies' mother, Peaches, intentionally barricaded in the kitchen behind a bed frame. The father of the litter, Zeus, was staying with a different pet sitter at the time and was not involved in the incident.

Zanders noted that nothing else was stolen from the property, leading him to believe the crime was not random, but rather a planned heist targeting the young dogs.

The theft has been deeply upsetting for Zanders and several local families.

Zanders said the puppies were only five weeks old and were scheduled to be placed in loving homes—many with family members and young children—in three weeks. 

He also expressed concern for the health of the animals, noting that they were far too young to be separated from their mother. Peaches was still actively nursing the litter at the time they were taken, according to him. 

What we don't know:

Metropolitan Police department investigators stated that they have not yet located any surveillance footage of the suspect or the theft, and neighbors have reported seeing nothing unusual.

What you can do:

D.C. Police are actively investigating the incident and are offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to the safe return of the puppies.

D.C. CrimeNewsCrime and Public SafetyWashington, D.C.