Owner offers reward after poodle snatched in Burnaby mall parking lot

Burnaby RCMP are appealing for the return of astolen toy poodle namedCoco after the dogwas taken from a shopping cartwhileits ownerwas loading groceries into her vehicle.

Police say the incident happened on Saturdayjust before 6p.m. PT in a parking lot atLougheedMall.

"I never thought that this could happen to me especially when there ...a lot of cars in the large mall," said the dog's owner Christina An. "I was in shock."

An saidshe had been grocery shopping with Coco, who she carries in a special bag, and placed her on top of the shopping cart when she returned to her vehicle.

She then noticed a vehicle approaching quickly behind her and turned to see Coco in her bag being snatched away. Mounties saidthe silver four-door Honda Civic then drove away towardsLougheedSkyTrainstation.

"So now after that incident happened I cannot trust everyone," said An. "I don't want ... to go any outside. It's just creating trauma to myself."

An saidparamedics came to help her as she was hyperventilating over the bizarre and troubling theft of her pet.

"I just don't want to give up any hope that something's happened to her. She is part of my family," Ansaid, addingshe is willing to pay $2,000 as a reward for the safe return of Coco.

An'salso placed ads on Kijiji and Craigslist about the missing pet, in hopes that the person who took her, does not try to sell her for cash.

One suspect is described as a white male inhis mid-20s withblondhair and was accompanied by a female.

Cocois a four-year-old toy poodle with a very short tail. Shewalks with a limp on its back leg andweighs about 5.5 pounds according An, who saidCoco is"very friendly to humans."

Police saidthey have surveillance footage of the incident and areappealing to the public to help them return the dog to its owner.