CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A heartbroken South Bay woman is making a desperate plea after three of her Maltese dogs disappeared in the past three weeks, and the clues point to a thief.
These days, Yolanda Brown doesn't let Zubian, a year-and-a-half old Maltese, stray too far. Just three weeks ago, he was the youngest in a happy Maltese family of four. Now he's the only one left.
"Cried for days. It hurts. It hurts a lot," said Brown.
The first tears came early this month. Brown rents a home on Del Mar Avenue and her four dogs were required to stay in her fenced backyard. One morning, 2-year-old Zoey vanished.
"Checked all the gates and they were shut. Thought it may have been a predator," said Brown.
A week later, Zoey's mom, 5-year-old Zivah, disappeared from the same yard.
"Just distraught, wondering what could have happened to them," said Brown.
About 10 days later, Brown decided to keep Zubian and his 5-year-old dad Zeus tied up as a precaution.
"One morning, as I came out, Zeus was gone and so was the leash. Zubian standing there by himself," said Brown.
For Brown, it was too much to bear. Nearby, she found her fence damaged. A chair - moved from the pool area - was now propped up against the fence. She realized a thief had grabbed all of her dogs.
"Very cold-hearted people that would so something like that," said Brown.
If sold, the stolen dogs could fetch several thousand dollars each.
"They are priceless to me. They are members of my family," said Brown.
Brown fixed up the fence and moved the chair back. When she walked us to that fence to show 10news cameras, she discovered the fence once again damaged. The chair had been moved back to the fence.
"Someone was trying to come back and take my last dog. I'm scared," said Brown.
Brown says Zubian has been moved to a safe place. Anyone with information on the stolen dogs is asked to call Chula Vista Police at 619-422-TIPS.
