Gunmen dognap L.A. family’s puppies

updated 3:41 p.m. ET March 2, 2007

LOS ANGELES - A pair of men posing as prospective buyers of four Yorkshire puppies forced their way into a home at gunpoint and stole the terriers worth $2,500 each, police said.

They also fled with the family's grown terrier.

After seeing a newspaper ad, the men made an appointment to see the 8-week-old puppies on the night of Feb. 23 at Kelly Lee's home in Koreatown, Lee said. When they showed up, she said, she asked them to remove their shoes before entering.

One suspect told her they would get slippers from his vehicle, Lee said. When he returned, one pointed a gun at her and three family members.

"They yelled at us to get down" on the floor of the living room, Lee said.

As one man held a gun, the other chased after the puppies scampering around the room and underneath a coffee table, home surveillance video released by police showed. He snatched one of the dogs from Lee's hands.

After stuffing the dogs one by one in a plastic garbage bag, the men fled in a silver car, police said.

No one was injured.

"It appears the suspects answered the ad, knowing the value of the puppies," police Lt. Paul Vernon said.

Although the puppies were valued at $2,500 each, the victims were most concerned about the loss of Tan-ja, the family pet for more than three years.

"I just want to find my dog, that's it," Lee said.

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