GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A woman in Gwinnett County got an early holiday surprise when police recovered her stolen shih-poo dog -- along with four new puppies she'd just given birth to.
Gwinnett Police updated a missing dog report on Tuesday with the happy ending, as well as bodycam of the emotional reunion between the woman and her shih-poo. According to the department, the dog was bedded with another dog after being stolen and became pregnant.
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Adding to the unusual circumstances of the case, GCPD said the suspect is a mom who took her two children to pose as the owners after a missing dog notice went out in early October at the Sugarloaf Summit Apartments on Duluth Highway. That's where the woman lives with her shih-poo, who had gotten out of a ground floor patio enclosure.
According to police, someone else at the apartment complex found the dog by the pool and posted a notification on a community app about the lost dog. That person told police two females came to the pool, identified it as "Coco" and took the dog and left in an SUV.
Police ultimately traced that SUV to the home where they found the dog -- and the puppies.
Bodycam video, which you can see in the YouTube player at the bottom of this story and in the video player at the top of the article, showed the dog being returned to her owner.
"Are you ready for four puppies?" an officer asked. "I hope you guys are excited for the puppies, merry early Christmas!"
The woman, clearly emotion, said, "Oh my God thank you so much!" Another individual with her said, "she's a grandma!"
As for the mom who is alleged to have taken her children to pose as the owners of the dog and steal it, she faces charges including theft by taking and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.