Cape Town - A Helderberg woman is concerned that her nine-year-old teacup yorkie has been stolen as the dog remains missing for more than a week.
This, after CCTV footage shows a white man and woman trying to approach the dog after it got out from under the gate of its Strand home on Sunday, July 28.
In the video, the two can be seen walking past the front gate as they attempt to talk to little Mopsi.
Mopsi’s owner, Linda Pieterse, said she now feared her dog was stolen.
She said that although there was no evidence that the two took Mopsi, her dog is nowhere to be found.
“Our people in our neighbourhood are quite dog friendly, so they would have picked her up and taken her to the vet as she is chipped and has a name tag with my telephone number on.
“If it is those people with the bakkie; it has a GP registration number.
“We have been driving up and down and nobody knows that bakkie,” Pieterse said.
Mopsi also has no front teeth and has a Jin-yang name tag.
Pieterse has since been in contact with a local security company regarding the “mysterious bakkie”.
Spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Belinda Abraham, said their lost and found department deals with daily reports of missing animals, many of whom are allegedly stolen from owners' front yards.
“To keep pets safe, split your front yard from the back, and keep pets in the back if you are not at home.
“Always microchip your pets so that if they are found straying, the SPCA can reunite you with them as quickly as possible,” Abraham explained.
“Remember that if you ever need to challenge an individual on the issue of ownership, a microchip will serve as undeniable proof of ownership.”
A heartbroken Pieterse described Mopsi as a real lapdog and said she slept with them in bed.
“A typical yorkie, she is very tiny and goes into a shake mode when scared,” she said.
Pieterse has pleaded with the two from the video and the communities around to get in touch with her regarding her dog's whereabouts.
“Their faces are not very clear, so if you can ask that they contact me,” she said.
Contact Linda Pieterse at 0833103855 if you have any information about Mopsi.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus