Rare pups stolen

THE stolen French Bulldog puppies

A DEVASTATED dog breeder is desperate for his five seven-week-old puppies to be returned after they were stolen from his home on Saturday night.

Rob Hollingsworth and his wife Victoria have launched a social media campaign — and offered a four-figure reward — to find the rare French Bulldog puppies, together worth around £20,000.

Rob says the pups — two female and three male — are far too young to be without their mother, which also lives with the couple.

Rob returned home to Royton at 9.30pm after a family night out to find his back door prized open and the puppies, a rare blue/grey colour, gone.

Rob said: “I’m absolutely devastated. I don’t understand how someone could do something like this.”

Rob says he is certain the thieves — who struck between 7pm-9.30pm — knew the rare pups were inside. Nothing else was taken.

Some of the pups had already found new homes and were awaiting collection.

The puppies are the third — and likely final — litter of their mother Talula.

Rob is appealing for anyone with information to contact police and has started a social media campaign with posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to help find the dogs. They offered a four-figure reward for the dogs’ safe return.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.