Man's French Bulldog Puppy Stolen After Meeting In Woodbridge

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A man's French bulldog puppy was stolen Friday in Woodbridge, according to Woodbridge Police.

The man, who is actually an Orange resident, reported the incident to Woodbridge Police and they relayed what happened:

The man, 22, said he met another man online through social media and the two men discussed meeting to possibly breed their French bulldogs and have them play. The victim's puppy is five months old.

They agreed to meet at Sewaren Dog Park in Woodbridge on Friday, May 5.

After they met at the dog park, the man, who had a second man with him, suggested that they all go to the Fox Hill Run apartment complex in Woodbridge, where the man said his mother lives.

The three men drove in two separate cars to the apartment complex and parked at a unit, where the men let both their dogs out to play with each other in the yard. The victim said he then got a call from his girlfriend, and he went around to the side of the house to talk to her.

When he came back to the yard just moments later, the men had taken his puppy and drove off in a black SUV.

According to other media reports, the 22-year-old Orange man tried to run after the car, but it sped off.

The Orange man told News 12 Wednesday that later that night he received a video of his dog with a text message: “I swear any funny biz I’ll kill ya’ fluffy.”

And, one of the men extorted him:

“He told me that I have to pay $8,000 to get my dog back. I was willing to pay him the money for my dog back, but I am not just going to send money without being able to see my dog."

Pure-bred French bulldog puppies can sell for anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 for high-end, rare breeds.

The man also told News 12 that even before they met at Sewaren Dog Park, things became weird with the man: "Wen I arrived (at the dog park), he told me he was at the bank and that all the puppies are at his friend’s house,” the victim said. “He was trying to get me to go to his friend’s house, but I didn’t know his friend, so I wasn’t comfortable doing that. So, I said, ‘I will wait for you and your friend to come here to the dog park.’”

As of Wednesday, his puppy has not been recovered.