MIAMI (CBSMiami) — The determined owners of a French bulldog that may have been stolen in Miami are expanding their search.
The Dixons put up new signs around the Magic City and in Hialeah on Wednesday, offering a $5,000 reward for their dog, Morgan.
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As she shed tears, Miju Dixon showed CBS4’s Peter D’Oench new video of 1-year-old Morgan lying on a bed and snapping up a treat and then waiting for a meal in their kitchen.
Miju Dixon said, “He is our baby and our family. He is my baby boy. It would mean so much to find him. I would give everything to get him back. He is the sweetest little angel ever. He is a little rascal. I just want him back. He is so loving. He is just so playful. Why would anyone want to do this? These dogs are our family.”
Dixon and her husband Jack put up new posters around their neighborhood at SW 22 Avenue and 18 Street and by nearby US-1 in Miami. They then traveled to Hialeah to put up new signs by an apartment building at 375 W 18 Street.
Jack Dixon said Morgan, like their other French bulldog named Pizza, had an Apple Air Tag on his collar and was also microchipped. He said Morgan somehow got out of their yard around 8:45 Sunday night and he said Ring cam video captured a car that Morgan may have gotten in to. Jack Dixon said when he checked the app for the Apple Air Tag, he discovered that Morgan had been taken to an area near the Hialeah apartment building.
“We believe someone took the dog,” he said. “The Apple Air Tag suggests he was on the move very quickly and traveling 7 to 8 miles in 20 minutes. We rushed over there and contacted Hialeah police, but they said police needed a warrant to search the building. So that is where it ended. A private investigator also used a scent detection dog but did not find Morgan.”
On Wednesday, D’Oench showed residents of the building video of Morgan but no one said they had seen the dog.
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Jack Dixon said, “We are devastated. You try and think the best of people and it’s times like this where you kind of doubt humanity. Why would someone do something like this. He is a family member to us.”
Miami police spokesman Mike Vega said the case was a priority. He said, “We are working this case and have detectives assigned to it. We are going to try to do what we can to locate this puppy for them.”
He also said that the Dixons should have reported the incident right away to Miami police when it happened at Sunday night instead of at 10 a.m. on Monday because police lost valuable time.
“The dog was in another jurisdiction by the time we heard and that could have impeded our investigation. We should have been told right away do we could track the dog.”
Jack Dixon said, “Hindsight is a wonderful thing but when you are in a panic you try and do what you think is right. We jumped in the car and went to Hialeah after finding out about this on our tracking device. Our initial reaction was probably the dog was taken by a Good Samaritan or someone who lives nearby. We just didn’t know. Now all we want to do is get Morgan back.”
Jack Dixon said anyone who has seen Morgan should call him at (347) 403-6668. That is the number on the flyer.
“We will pay $5,000 for Morgan,” he said. “And no questions will be asked.”
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Miami Police said anyone who can help can call them at (305) 579-6111 and ask for the robbery unit.
