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Emotional support dog stolen in West Philadelphia burglary
An emotional support dog was stolen during a West Philadelphia burglary and the owner is offering a reward for the dog's safe return.
WEST PHILADELPHIA - A man in West Philadelphia says his home was broken into while he was out to dinner. He says whoever did it stole guns, cash and his beloved pet and emotional support dog Lia.
Matthew Molloy has been in a West Philadelphia neighborhood for a little over a year. All was going well until Wednesday night.
"We were out to dinner and I got home and saw the door was cracked open and I was like, ‘What the heck is going on!’" Molloy explained. "I saw that the frame was also broken, so I sprinted upstairs."
Once inside his apartment, he discovered the unthinkable – his French Bulldog puppy, Lia, was nowhere to be found.
Heartbroken, Molloy immediately called police and filed a report. FOX 29 reached out to the Southwest Detectives Unit investigating and they say, in addition to the dog being taken, two firearms were also reportedly stolen, too.
Molloy noticed his safe was cleared out and the one working security camera he had facing the door was ripped off the plug, making the case a bit of a challenge. "I was just lost. I can’t even process it."
Molloy says Lia isn’t just an ordinary pet, but is actually his emotional support animal. He wants her home, more than anything.
"I was at a rough patch in my life and I was living here by myself and I really needed someone to be there for me and ended up getting a dog," Molloy explained. "She’s the best thing that ever happened to me and now she’s ripped away."
Molloy says he’s offering a $5,000 reward for Lia’s safe return, no questions asked. "I’m just hoping she comes back. I haven’t even grasped the fact that she might never be here again."
Lia is an almost two-year-old gray French Bulldog, with spots. Signs are posted along the West Philadelphia neighborhood with hopes of her safe return to her owner, who needs her now more than ever.
Anyone with information regarding the burglary or Lia, the French Bulldog, is urged to contact Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183.
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Tips can be submitted by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477) or text a tip to 215-686-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted anonymously online, here. All tips are confidential.
Click here to find resources for victims of violence in Philadelphia.