The owner of a soon to be therapy dog is pleading for the public’s help in finding her.

The Maltipoo by the name of Paloma was stolen out of a car on Wednesday near Orizaba Ave. and Randolph St. in San Francisco.

KRON4’s Hermela Aregawi spoke exclusively with Paloma’s owner.

Yu-Ting Chen and her 1-year-old pup were ripped apart in just moments.

Chen’s boyfriend parked his car in front of a store and left Paloma and his older Labrador Retriever in the car.

“Because it was unusually hot that day, he left the windows down for them,” Chen said. “It was just supposed to be a quick go and grab a drink come back out kind of thing.”

By the time her boyfriend made it back to the car, Paloma was gone.

The pup was in the process of being trained as a therapy dog, so Chen, who teaches 5th grade in Oakland, would often bring her to class.

“I noticed how well she works with students especially with students with special learning needs and students who have experienced a lot of trauma,” she said. “…When she sits down with them, their focus on her and her playfulness kind of calms them down.”

For Chen, Paloma is more than just her pet, but also a source of comfort for her students.

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