Stolen Middletown Puppy Found, Mayor Says

NEW JERSEY - The puppy lifted from a Middletown pet store on Thursday has been found, according to Middletown Mayor Tony Perry.

“Very happy to report that the cockapoo puppy stolen from The Pet Shoppe has been returned and an arrest has been made,” Perry said in a statement Saturday afternoon. “Excellent work by Middletown Detectives Sullivan and Hirschbein for their investigative work.”

News of the arrest came a day after The Pet Shoppe raised its reward for the missing pup from $1,000 to $2,000. Per a News12 report, the puppy could die without proper nutrition due to her young age.

The theft is still under investigation, according to The Pet Shoppe. Middletown police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ten-week-old female cockapoo was taken shortly from the Route 35 store shortly before 1:15 p.m. The owner told police that a young man came into the store and asked if the store had any cockapoo or goldendoodle puppies for sale. The suspect then began to play with a cockapoo puppy.

But soon after the man began to play with the dog, he picked up the puppy and ran from the store.