TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ) — An urgent plea from a Baltimore County couple. Their puppy is missing after their home was robbed. But this is no ordinary puppy. He’s deaf, raising fears he may be abandoned.

Monique Griego has more on the Timonium couple’s plea for help.

The couple has been posting flyers all over the neighborhood. They’re hoping someone will come forward with information.

When Anne Hiken came home last Thursday, she immediately knew something was wrong.

“Saw that the TV was gone, the computer was gone, papers were all over the floor,” said Anna Hiken, Thor’s owner.

Her Timonium apartment on Chetwood Circle was ransacked. She soon realized thieves had taken much more than just electronics. Her dog Thor, a 13-week-old all white pit bull puppy, was gone, too.

Not only was his crate now open and empty, someone had also taken his leash.

“To take a family member out of somebody’s household, it’s almost like they took a child. He is our baby, you know what I mean?” Mike Lenhart said, Thor’s owner.

Making the situation more desperate for the couple is that Thor is not just any puppy.

“He is completely deaf,” Hiken said.

A special need they fear whoever took him isn’t ready to deal with.

“He’s not going to hear you if you’re screaming. He’s not going to know his name,” Hiken said.

But Thor’s dog-napping is just one example of what some call an epidemic.

“Dogs are being stolen regularly, especially the pit bull breeds tend to be more targeted,” said Eric Vocke, Baltimore Bully Crew.

Vocke is the co-founder of the Baltimore Bully Crew–a local rescue and awareness organization.

“People steal dogs to sell them, to breed them, and in some cases, to use them in fighting,” Vocke said.

That idea has definitely crossed Lenhart’s mind.

“We pray every single day, every single minute that that’s not the reason why they took him,” he said.

Thor has some unique features, like his all white coloring, flipped up ears and black facial markings. The couple is hoping someone will recognize him and help bring him home.

“That’s our family, and we want our family back,” Lenhart said.

A reward is being offered for Thor’s safe return.

Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County Police at 410-887-2214 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCKUP.

You can also contact Mike and Anna at 443-789-6174 or 443-398-6797.

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