South Fulton County

Local woman says her dog was stolen, is being held for nearly $4K ransom

CITY OF SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — A metro Atlanta woman said her dog was kidnapped and now, someone is holding the dog hostage and demanding nearly $4,000.

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Channel 2′s Audrey Washington talked to Crystal Harris, who said two guys stole her 7-year-old bulldog, Bella, from her home’s garage in the City of South Fulton.

Surveillance cameras show two men walk into the front yard of the home and head straight for the garage. Seconds later, Bella appears. From there, she vanished.

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Harris said she called the police and gave them pictures and video of the people involved, but they said there is not much they can do.

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Harris said she posted on a puppy app that her dog had disappeared on Friday. Hours later, she got a call from a woman who said she had Bella and demanded cash.

Harris screenshot the Facetime call, in which the woman claimed she got the dog from two men after they got into an accident.

Harris said the woman claimed in the call that she and her daughter had been scammed out of $3,800 and told Harris she would have to pay that to give Bella back. Harris refused to pay. Harris said the woman hung up and never called back.

“I don’t know what’s going on why would you just take her like that and steal her?” Harris said. “There are shelters where dogs need a home. Why steal a dog?”

Harris spoke to police but hasn’t gotten much traction in the case. She hopes someone with information will come forward and help her bring her precious dog home safely.

“To treat her like that and steal her, that’s wrong,” Harris said. “That means you don’t have no good intention because you know that’s not your dog.”