The alleged thieves were depicted in surveillance footage that captured the moment a puppy was stolen from a pet shop in a shopping mall in broad daylight.
Just after 1.30pm on Monday, a French bulldog was taken from the Eastgardens pet store in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, causing immediate panic in the community.
Video of a group of men interacting with animals in a store has been shared online after the theft, and native businesses, organizations and police are appealing for help finding them.
One in all the lads, shown earlier innocently crouching next to the puppy pad, was seen leaving the shop in a hurry, carrying the dog.
![The alleged thieves were caught on camera when a puppy was stolen from a mall pet store in broad daylight.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013627944.jpg?w=885)
The corporate posted videos of the animal and the lads on its website with the request: “STOLE FRENCH BULLDOG – help discover these individuals and convey our child home safely.”
The puppy is light cream in color and has dark patches on each eyes that reach right down to the ear on one side.
It appeared in a cute photo taken by a shopper the day before fiddling with two cavoodles in the runway of the shop.
![Footage of a group of men interacting with animals in a store was shared online after the theft, and police have asked the public for help finding them.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013627950.jpg?w=646)
“My friend and I were at the extent 3 pet shop in Eastgardens on a Sunday afternoon and we couldn’t recover from how cute this French Bulldog is,” a buyer wrote on Facebook.
“Today we learned that a dog was stolen from a pet store.”
The puppy was reportedly selling for around $6,000.
![The French Bulldog was taken from the Eastgardens pet store in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Monday afternoon.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013627939.jpg?w=612)
Officers from the Eastern Beaches Police Command arrested a 31-year-old man in Albury, greater than 310 miles away, on Wednesday after an investigation and public appeal.
He was taken to Albury Police Station and charged with shoplifting.
The person has been released on parole on bail and is attributable to appear at Waverly Local Court in August.
![Officers from the Eastern Beaches Police Area Command arrested a 31-year-old man in Albury in connection with a stolen puppy and charged him with shoplifting.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013627949.jpg?w=913)
Nonetheless, the puppy stays at large and the investigation continues.
At the moment, the lads were dressed in white or cream sweaters, one with a red cap and the opposite with a green cap.
Anyone with information on the puppy’s whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
Lots of of individuals joined the campaign to seek out the pup after word of his theft spread across Sydney communities including Sydney Eastern Suburbs & Surrounds Lost & Found Pets and Sydney French Bulldogs.