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Brooklyn Man Pleads For Return Of Stolen Dog, Says Daughters Are Distraught

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- coaxing a loving puppy to his arms in a Brooklyn laundromat, and running off.

CBS2's Magdalena Doris talked to the dog's owner, who was desperate to have his best friend back.

On Monday, police said a man lured the puppy named Pippin away from the clerk's station inside Braulio Espinal's laundromat on Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick.

Espinal said he thought the dog was safe inside a locked office, but the thief popped the electronic door release, quickly scooping the pup in his arms and bolting for the door, CBS2's Doris reported. All the while, an accomplice was distracting a laundry attendant who was folding clothes.

Espinal fears for his dog's safety and is plagued with anxiety, worrying whether the dog is eating or if he's wandering the streets, Doris reported.

"Why would someone do something like that? I couldn't explain that to you," Espinal said. "What they are going to do with the dog is what worries me."

As of late Wednesday afternoon, it had been more than 48 hours since Pippin was stolen.

Espinal said he feels the worst for his daughters, who are now missing their best friend.

"They're in love with the dog," Espinal said. "It's very sad.... It's hard for them to understand what happened at this point."

Espinal's concern was growing that he would never see the dog again.

"If the dog is eating, is the dog is in the streets?" he said.

His hunch is that the dognapper saw his pup as a way to make a quick buck – selling for up to $1,200 legally.

"God knows -- sell it for 100 bucks, $50, $150 – who knows how much he sold it for?" Espinal said. "He just got some money out of it. To me, I lost a family member."

Espinal said he has been scouring the Internet to see if anyone has posted the pup for sale. He's hoping the puppy, which is microchipped, shows up at a local vet.

Espinal further said the door to his laundromat is always open, and he asks the person who took his dog to him back, no questions asked.

Anyone with information in either case was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or (888) 57-PISTA for Spanish, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.

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