26 May 2023 , 17:56
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A woman said her beloved French bulldog was stolen at gunpoint and she was beaten when she took her treasured pup for a walk.
Alicja Pierzchala, 64, told reporters that the attack occurred Wednesday evening in Portage Park, a northwest side neighbourhood in Chicago, Illinois, when her little dog Peppa was suddenly taken.
Everything appeared normal to Alicja during the fateful walk, until she suddenly felt "pressure" behind her
"I just walk with my Peppa," she said. "She was sniffing, walking, all of a sudden behind of me I felt pressure."
Alicja said she struggled with the gunman and was later treated at a hospital for cuts to her wrists, forehead and a concussion.
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She adopted Peppa nearly two months ago. No arrests have been made, police said.
Peppa was taken at gunpoint (Getty Images)In 2021, a dog walker for pop star Lady Gaga was shot and wounded and two of the singer's dogs were taken during an armed robbery in Hollywood.
The man was walking three of Lady Gaga's pooches, French bulldogs Koji and Gustav, at the time but one escaped.
Authorities have said it was a coincidence that the dogs belonged to the singer and that the motive for the theft was the value of the French bulldogs, a breed that can run into the thousands of dollars.
Alicja said the attack took place in Chicago's Portage Park (Getty Images)The man who shot the dog walker and stole the dogs was later arrested and sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Late last year, a concerning incident occurred when a woman in north Phoenix, Arizona, had her trusty service dog Mya stolen by an unknown man.
Lindsay Deyo, 35, even quit her job to go and search for her dog, the pooch she needs to warn her of impending seizures and bark people away when she is experiencing one.
Mya, who is microchipped, was adopted at seven weeks old by Lindsay during the pandemic. A $1,500 reward was put up for her return.
She told USA Today: “I just feel like, not myself without her... she’s my best friend."
She added that she is worried about the pooch being used for dogfighting and said: "I don't really want to think the worst, but you never know. If they were to do that to her, like, she won’t defend herself because she's not trying to be aggressive."
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Tragically, Lindsay also said worrying about Mya's whereabouts induced a miscarriage at three weeks.
Her boyfriend Daniel Hill, 37, said: "It's heartbreaking. She still cries. Lately, at least once a day, if not more than that.