CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A bold theft at a Centennial pet store has left employees frustrated and concerned for the welfare of two stolen puppies.
Perfect Pets, located on South University Boulevard in Centennial, is a family-owned shop that's been in business since 1993. Owner Jens Larsen feels like he has tried everything possible to end theft in his store.
"We moved here in 2014 and honestly, crime subsided considerably. But lately, we've had a very bad run of crime," said Larsen.
Surveillance footage shows two women walking into the store with a baby and stroller on Wednesday night. While employees were distracted, one woman discreetly placed a puppy into the stroller and walked out. Moments later, the other woman, who waited until staff went to the back to gather supplies, grabbed a second puppy and ran out the front door.
- Watch the surveillance video below
“I was actually not working last night, and [Jens Larsen] called me just in a complete panic, and he just told me, ‘Hey, a puppy got stolen,’” said store manager Bianca Rose Larsen.
The puppies were a miniature Bernedoodle and a Cava-Shih Tzu mix. They have a combined value of about $4,400, making this a felony theft case.
Denver7 has reported on several puppy thefts at the store. Two puppies were stolen from the store in December 2022, marking the third incident for Perfect Pets that year. Two puppy thieves were again caught on camera in August 2018. In January 2017, a puppy stolen from Perfect Pets was found in the possession of a suspected shoplifter.
Larsen said he's frustrated by the repeated crimes targeting their business.
“Crime has just escalated to an astronomical amount,” Larsen said. “It affects our bottom line tremendously.”
Despite security measures, including surveillance cameras, ID requirements to handle puppies, and locked enclosures, theft remains an issue. The store has filed a stolen property report with authorities, and the puppies’ microchips have been flagged in case they are recovered.
The incident comes amid a wave of pet store thefts and increasing city-wide bans on retail pet sales. Several cities like Commerce City, Fort Collins and Littleton have passed ordinances banning pet stores from selling dogs and cats unless they come from shelters or rescues. Larsen questions if the limited number of pet stores could be making his business a target.
“The closest one to us would probably be Pet Ranch in Thornton,” he said. “They’re way up north, probably about 20 miles, and they’ve had a lot of theft, too.”
Perfect Pets is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the puppies and the conviction of the suspects.
“If I did have a message for the thieves that took them, I would just say, ‘Please do the right thing. Set a good example for your kid. Get us our puppies back,’” Rose Larsen pleaded.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office at 303-795-4711.
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