Rescue Dog Stolen During Armed Robbery Found Dead

UPDATE, Monday 5:15 p.m.

A Chicago rescue group frantic to find a special needs dog stolen during an armed robbery Sunday received the heartbreaking news that he has died.

Furever Rescue was offering a $4,000 reward for Tyler, a visually impaired Great Dane/pit bull mix, who was stolen during an armed robbery in the 3900 block of Campbell and Pershing between 1 and 2 a.m. Sunday. The cause of Tyler's death was unclear as of Monday afternoon.

Following an overnight visit to the home of a potential adopter, Tyler was being transported back to rescue co-founder Natalie Sopart's home, when the driver pulled over to help out a friend. Sopart works until 3 a.m., necessitating the early-morning drop-off.

While stopping to walk a friend's dogs, three men ambushed the car and held a gun to the man's head. They demanded his money and ordered him to look straight ahead.

"We're gonna take your dog, too," the men told the driver, according to Sopart. "Welcome to Chicago, bitch."

Tyler, who also went by "TyTy" and "Bubby", must have been terrified, Sopart said before learning of the dog's fate. His visual impairment made him reliant on Sopart's other dogs for basic navigation. He also relied on his sense of smell and sound to locate his human at night or while in dimly lit space.

"Tyler is timid and will pancake to the floor upon human approach or urinate on himself when startled," the rescue noted on its Facebook page. "He adores dogs and will likely approach a dog faster than a human.

"When he is most nervous he retreats to corners and winds his body in a tight ball. Our minds are racing and our hearts are broken. Now we are scared and anxious asking for help."

Tyler weighed 60 pounds and was just neutered last week. He was a stunning snow white, with blue eyes and two blue-ish grey spots—one covering his eye and one on the base of his tail.

Sopart was inconsolable after hearing the news from Chicago Animal Control.