Police Are On The Hunt For A 16-Year-Old Shih Tzu Named Zoi Stolen From SUV At Gas Station

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A 16-year-old Shih Tzu named Zoi happened to be sitting in a silver Infiniti SUV that was stolen Monday from a gas station in the 1400 block of Hampton Park Boulevard in Capitol Heights around 1:15 p.m.

Zoi has been described as having an all white coat with a multi-color tail. Anyone who has seen Zoi, or knows where the dog may be, is asked to call 911, according to the Prince George's County Police Department.

Zoi's abduction is the latest in a string of dog thefts across the D.C. area. A woman's French bulldog was stolen from outside her apartment over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to WUSA. Teffiney Worthy said she was returning from walking her 6-month-old puppy, Hendrix, around 4 p.m. on Saturday, when two black cars with paper tags pulled up in front of her home on Monroe Street, Northeast. Worthy told WUSA the man was carrying what looked like a Taser and said, "Give me your dog or I'll kill you."

In September, police in Prince George’s County searched for a dog that was stolen from a sitter by two armed suspects. According to police, the three-year-old pup named Duke was with the dog sitter while her humans were on a trip. The sitter told the couple she was stopping for food on the way to meet them to drop off their dog. The restaurant was apparently closed, so she pulled over in the 10100 block of Livingston Road in Fort Washington to check her GPS. That’s when she said the two suspects, at least one of whom was armed with a handgun, approached her car and began banging on it. Then they reached in and stole Duke from the back seat, according to FOX5.

Although police don’t compile statistics, The Washington Post reports that the American Kennel Club has estimated around 2 million dogs were stolen last year. They’re usually purebreds — such as Frenchies, Yorkshire terriers and golden retrievers — that can cost thousands of dollars.