$5K reward offered for safe return of dog stolen after woman robbed at gunpoint in Grand Crossing

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A reward is being offered for the safe return of a French bulldog that was stolen at gunpoint earlier this month, according to PETA.

The dog, named King Tut, was stolen from a 73-year-old woman on February 11, according to the animal rights organization.

"Anyone that you meet around here, you ask them about Tut. Everybody knew King Tut," the dog's owner, Carleta Phillips.

The noises that once filled Phillips' home are now gone.

Phillips was walking her black French bulldog on E. 72nd Street in Chicago's Grand Crossing neighborhood around 10 a.m., when two men in a black, late-model Infiniti approached her, according to PETA. One of the men, armed with a gun, demanded the woman give him the 2-year-old dog before throwing it in the trunk of the car and driving off.

"I gave him the leash. In the meantime, there was a young man on the passenger side. He gets out. He goes to the back of the car by the trunk," Phillips said. "And, they threw him in the trunk. That's the part that hurt me the most. I had to see them throw him in the trunk. And, that is the part that I keep seeing over and over and over."

Police responded to the scene and determined that the Infiniti had been stolen after running the vehicle's license plate which was captured on a nearby surveillance camera, PETA said.

PETA said police are investigating but don't have any leads yet, so the organization is asking for the public's help to find King Tut and the people who stole him.

They are offering a $5,000 reward for the safe return of the dog, as well as the arrest and conviction of the two men - as well as any other accomplices.

"Locating the dog is crucial, as he may have special veterinary needs since French bulldogs are a breathing-impaired breed (BIB) because their snouts are so far back against their skulls," PETA said. "French bulldogs and other BIBs are bred for a particular look, resulting in drastically shortened airways that cause an array of painful and distressing symptoms-including labored breathing, snorting, gagging, and collapsing-and make them more susceptible to vomiting, exercise intolerance, heatstroke, and even death."

Phillips said she is still holding out hope she'll see her dog again.

"That's what I've been thinking about. I'm going to get the call," she said.

According to PETA, police have said that French bulldogs, like King Tut, are sold for as much as $3,000. They added that the best way to reduce the demand for "purebred" dogs is to adopt from a shelter and never buy from a breeder, pet store or dealer.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-746-6000.

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