Puppy stolen at gunpoint in San Leandro is found safe

San Leandro police are searching for two men who stole a 3-month old German shepherd named Maya at gunpoint, while the dog was walking with her teenage owner along a quiet residential block of Dayton Avenue. San Leandro police are searching for two men who stole a 3-month old German shepherd named Maya at gunpoint, while the dog was walking with her teenage owner along a quiet residential block of Dayton Avenue. Photo: Courtesy Of San Leandro Police Department, Handout Photo: Courtesy Of San Leandro Police Department, Handout Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Puppy stolen at gunpoint in San Leandro is found safe 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A puppy stolen at gunpoint from a 14-year-old boy in San Leandro has been found safe, police said.

The boy was walking a 3-month-old German shepherd when two men brandished a gun, took the puppy and fled, police said.

“Nothing was taken, just the dog,” said Lt. Robert McManus, a spokesman for the San Leandro Police Department. He said the incident marked the first dog-napping his department has investigated.

McManus said Friday evening the puppy was found safe, but declined to provide details on her return.

The holdup unfolded Monday, when the teen took his puppy — named Maya — for an evening stroll on Dayton Avenue.

About 8:30 p.m., the boy and his dog were confronted by two men who rolled up in a light-colored car. The passenger got out and tried to snatch Maya, but the boy resisted. Then the driver emerged with a gun.

Maya is a purebred black shepherd, a breed that’s fairly common in the Bay Area — which doesn’t make it any less desirable, said Rebecca Katz, head of Oakland Animal Services.

“People dog-nap all kinds of dogs, sometimes for breeding, sometimes for fighting,” Katz said.

Police continued to hunt for the robbers Friday morning. Later in the day the puppy was found safe, McManus said.

Anyone with information can contact the San Leandro Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at (510) 577-3230.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: rachelswan