A $1,000 reward is being offered to help find those responsible for allegedly stealing and mistreating two French bulldogs from Massachusetts, according to an official.
State Rep. Francisco Paulino, D-Essex, who represents Lawrence, where the dogs, Malik and Potato, were allegedly stolen from, said $1,000 is being offered “for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for the theft and mistreatment of [the dogs].”
“To those responsible: Justice will find you,” Paulino wrote in a Facebook post.
Malik and Potato were found on Lawrence Road in Salem, New Hampshire on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and five days later, they were reunited with their owners. The two French bulldogs had been missing since February, according to a Facebook post from the Salem Police Department.
“I’m sure they have lots of stories to tell their parents but right now, they’ll settle for some snuggles,” the post said.
A GoFundMe page has since been set up to help Malik and Potato’s owners pay for veterinarian bills, as the dogs were in poor condition when they were found.
Malik and Potato’s owners spent months searching for the dogs after they were stolen from their home in Lawrence in February, according to the GoFundMe page. In the months they were missing, Ashley Martinez, one of the dogs’ owners, got “countless messages,” saying people saw the dogs “in poor conditions in different places and ads on craigslist trying to sell them.”
Martinez noted Malik’s eye may have to be removed if he cannot get the medications he needs. The dog’s teeth are “completely destroyed,” and “his ears are severely infected from scratching from allergies” as well, according to the GoFundMe page. He and Potato “also need micro chips worm treatments and so much more,” she added.
“[W]e spent thousands of dollars on these dogs and kept them in good health to have someone destroy them,” the GoFundMe page says. “[T]hey left us in a hard spot having 6 kids and we work hard for what we do have. i’m asking for some help towards their vet bills because i won’t be able to do it all alone.”