SAN DIEGO -- A local photographer is looking for answers after a burglar made off with her entire business and she may not be alone.

Borias the German shepherd is a pretty decent home security system. Too bad he wasn't home when a thief broke into Tami Michaels' Normal Heights home.

On Tuesday, Michaels took Borias -- who is also an assistance dog -- on an errand when, in broad daylight, the thief broke a lock and stole Michaels' laptop.

He also took her camera, a desk computer and a hard drive containing more than 15,000 photos of pets.

"What's worse," Michaels said, "[is] the photos of my own dog who's... he's my heart dog. He's my heart."

More than $10,000 worth of equipment is gone. It was the foundation of Michaels' pet photography business, Heart Dog Studios.

It's been hard on Tami for sentimental reasons but, also, she doesn't have renters insurance and has several clients waiting for Christmas cards featuring their pets.

"I've had to tell people, 'I'm so sorry but this tragic thing happened to me and there's nothing I can do."

San Diego Police said thieves are going after high-end items like cameras, laptops, and hard-drives for two reasons: they're expensive and they're small enough to put in a bag and walk away with without causing a commotion.

A police spokesman told 10News these burglaries increase this time of year, right before the holidays -- especially in more densely-populated areas like Normal Heights and College Area.