TACOMA, WA (KCPQ/CNN) – Two little girls in Washington are hoping that someday their 8-week-old pit bull will be brought home, after they say two men stole the puppy from their arms.
Diamondrose Howard, 8, and her 6-year-old sister Devine Howard are devoted pet owners to pit bull puppy Roxy. They love playing outside with her, cleaning her cage and keeping her bowl full of dog food.
But Monday afternoon, the sisters say they were outside their home in Tacoma, WA, with Roxy when two men slowly drove past.
The car made a U-turn then one man hopped out and approached the girls.
"He just came out of nowhere, and he came up to us and said, 'Cute dog. Can I pet him?' And Diamond said no," Devine said.
The girls say the man didn’t listen, instead ripping Roxy out of Diamondrose’s arms.
"Diamond was holding her. He pulled her by the collar and then picked her up… and he was squeezing her stomach," Devine said.
The man, with puppy in hand, then hopped back into the waiting car, the sisters say.
"I was like, 'Give me my puppy back!' And we said, 'Daddy, Daddy!'" Diamondrose said.
The kids’ father, Donald Howard, says he heard them screaming, and when they told him Roxy had been stolen, he hopped into his own car to try and follow the thieves.
But it was too late – they were gone.
So, Howard called Tacoma Police. He also visited his neighbors, hoping their surveillance cameras may have captured the incident.
"I hope this guy don't do this to somebody else's daughter. I don't want nobody else to feel this type of pain or no other child to go through this," Howard said.
Police say they are investigating but have no leads. They stress the girls did the right thing in this situation by running and screaming for their father.
Meanwhile, Diamondrose and Devine are left waiting for their beloved puppy to come home.
"We're waiting for her, and we want to see her again," Devine said.
Police officers recommend parents talk to their children about trusting their guts and, if they feel something is suspicious, to go in the house immediately and get an adult.
Copyright 2018 KCPQ, Howard family via CNN. All rights reserved.
