NEED TO KNOW
Four New York City bulldogs went missing after staying with a trusted dog walker
The owner, Eusebio Baez, says surveillance video raises questions about the walker’s story
New York City Police spoke to the walker who said he does not remember if dogs were returned; no charges have been made
A New York City man is searching for answers after his four bulldogs disappeared while in the care of a dog walker he says he trusted for years.
According to NBC New York, Bronx resident Eusebio Baez reported that he left the dogs — three French bulldogs (Churro, Mocha and Rosie) and one American bulldog (Banksy) —with the walker while traveling out of state last weekend, expecting them to be safely returned to his apartment as usual.
However, on Sunday, March 22, Baez received a call from the dog walker, who initially claimed the dogs were no longer in his apartment. When he inquired further, the walker said he had dropped them off the day before. However, when Baez returned to his Riverdale home, he said there were no signs the dogs had been returned, including their leashes and harnesses.
Baez contacted the New York Police Department (NYPD) and investigators reviewed his building’s surveillance footage, which allegedly revealed that the dog walker was in his hallway with the dogs on March 21 and then did not return.
According to the report, additional footage appears to show the dog walker later near the Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street subway station without the dogs. NYPD contacted the dog walker (whose name has not been released), who reportedly said he did not remember if he returned the dogs. Baez also shared alleged text messages in which the dog walker suggested that he may have had a seizure and was also searching for the dogs.
“Things are not adding up, and my dogs are still missing at the end of the day,” Baez told NBC New York, which also noted that he believed the dogs had already been sold. As of writing, authorities have not announced any charges.
PEOPLE reached out to the New York Police Department for further details and did not hear back immediately.
In the meantime, Baez has launched a widespread search effort, posting flyers across his neighborhood and contacting local veterinarians and shelters. He has also turned to social media, hoping the public can help locate the dogs.
“Just give ’em back,” he said. “I won’t ask any questions. If you paid for them, I’ll give you the money back…I just want my dogs back.”
Read the original article on People