National Enquirer

PET DETECTIVE COLLARS CRUEL DOGNAPPERS!

Best way to keep YOUR pooch safe

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RATTLED animal lovers are howling with worry as dognapping­s skyrocket and a helpless puppy was snatched from an L.A. pet shop in a violent heist!

Now ace pet detective Angel Nieves exposes dark criminal networks targeting our nation’s pooches in a National ENQUIRER special report that’s must reading for every pet lover!

Over the past 15 years, Nieves — a retired NYPD detective turned real-life Ace Ventura — has probed countless canine abductions and says the cruel crimes share a common element — opportunit­y.

“When owners leave their dogs outside, it’s like leaving a $20 bill on top of the dashboard of a car,” the gumshoe growls.

Nieves, who operates Your Pet Detective in NYC, believes the high-profile theft of Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs Koji and Gustav two years ago inspired a wave of copycats. The Bad Romance singer’s prized purebreds were returned unharmed — but her dog walker was shot and nearly died.

Nieves says, “Suddenly, thieves were aware of how much money they could make with a successful robbery. Some of these dogs go for as much as $10,000!”

During the recent daytime theft in California, a young woman brazenly snatched a Maltipoo from its cage at Planet Pet. Store owner Rosa Muñoz was beaten and pepper-sprayed when she tried to stop the robber!

The American Kennel Club reveals dognapping­s have soared 598 percent since 2008 — and the most pilfered pups include Frenchies, German shepherds, Siberian huskies, Yorkshire terriers, Shih Tzus and Labrador retrievers. According to Nieves, hijacked hounds are often hawked online, used for illicit breeding, savaged as dogfightin­g training bait or sold to research labs! He explains cops treat dogs as lost property based on current laws, which limits the scope of investigat­ions.

But as a pet detective Nieves uses his experience and intuition to bark up the right tree! In one instance, he helped recover a bulldog named Clara, who vanished after her owner tied the animal’s leash to a parking meter and ducked into a store. Nieves recalls encounteri­ng a suspicious guy while passing out flyers about Clara’s disappeara­nce and says, “I leaned in close and said, ‘Dude, I want this dog back tomorrow.’ I told him if he didn’t return it, I would leak it to the cops that they were breeding stolen dogs. That night, the owner got a phone call about returning their dog in the morning.”

Nieves shares, “I treat these cases like homicide cases. In both dognapping­s and homicides, the victim is voiceless — and they deserve a voice.”

 ?? ?? Lady Gaga’s walker was shot four times while handling her dogs
Lady Gaga’s walker was shot four times while handling her dogs
 ?? ?? Nieves says he treats every case like a homicide investigat­ion
Nieves says he treats every case like a homicide investigat­ion
 ?? ?? Dognapping­s have soared in recent years, experts reveal
Dognapping­s have soared in recent years, experts reveal
 ?? ?? Retired NYPD cop Angel Nieves has been an ace pet detective for the last 15 years
Retired NYPD cop Angel Nieves has been an ace pet detective for the last 15 years
 ?? ?? Ryan Fischer barely survived
the February 2021 attack
Ryan Fischer barely survived the February 2021 attack

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