Woman pleads for safe return of 2-month-old puppy taken by masked gunmen in East Chatham

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A woman is pleading for the safe return of her puppy after he was stolen from her at gunpoint.

It happened Wednesday night at 80th and Ingleside in Chicago's East Chatham neighborhood. The armed thieves wearing masks and hoodies demanded the dog and nothing else.

That dog owner said she just received the two-month-old puppy on Sunday as a birthday present.

His name is "Denim" because of his haunting blue eyes," she said.

Now, she is sick with worry.

"Is he safe? Are they feeding him? You know, are they not abusing him? You know, he's little. He's only two months," the dog owner said.

She asked us to hide her face as she recounted through tears how Denim was taken from her at gunpoint.

That's all I want, you to do is just give me my puppy. That's not a lot to ask for. Please just give me my dog back," she said.

She said she was walking the pup around 7 p.m. when a grey-colored Jeep pulled up.

"The back doors open to the truck and two guys jumped out from the back, one from the passenger seat and they just put three guns in my face and said, "Give me the dog,'" she recalled. "Three guys -- it took three guys with three guns for little bitty me. You know, I was defenseless out here."

They demanded nothing else, just Denim, who is a cane corso -- a breed that can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Denim's owner said he has an orthopedic condition and needs medication.

"They don't know that. They don't know that my puppy requires extra special attention, like... he's just the sweetest. He likes hugs. He likes belly rubs. You know, he's a sweetheart," she said.

Denim's owner said he did not have a microchip. After having just received him over the weekend, she was planning to have that done next week.