See It: Woman Steals Dog From Valley Stream Home
VALLEY STREAM, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A brazen dog theft was caught on camera on Long Island.
A woman is seen casually walking up to a house, snatching the dog from the front door, and then walking away with the animal in-hand.
On Thursday, CBS2's Nick Caloway spoke to the stunned pet owner.
In broad daylight, with cameras rolling, the woman walked right up to the home, took a look around, and swiped the dog right off the porch. She then casually walked away and gets into a sedan parked on the street.
The disappearing dog, a 12-year-old Pomeranian named Apollo, belongs to Josephine Yeh.
"When I first saw it, I thought, 'Oh my God,'" Yeh said.
The brazen act happened just after 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday on Broadway in Valley Stream. Yeh said Apollo slipped out the back gate when her mom was unloading groceries.
The family did contact police and took to social media to spread the word.
"We have a huge pet community. A lot of people have been reaching out to me trying to help," Yeh said.
Apollo is microchipped, which will help find his rightful owner if he finds his way into a vet's office.
Yeh said she called local shelters and vets, in case the person who grabbed the dog thought it was a stray and was actually trying to help.
"I'm hoping that it's a mistake, just because it has been so long. It has already been more than 24 hours. It worries me," Yeh said.
That worry grows with every minute Apollo is gone. He has been with the family for 10 years and has health issues.
"He recently just had a huge stroke, so that's what's even more troubling to us. Because I'm sure these people, they don't know his history. They don't know what to feed him, what he's like," Yeh said.
No matter the intentions, Yeh said she just wants Apollo to land safely back home where he belongs.
Anyone who finds a dog that looks similar to Apollo should take it to have its microchipped scanned, or call Nassau County police.
CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report.