A west Georgia family is desperate to find a puppy they say was stolen from them while at a dog show in Gwinnett County over the weekend.

The Harris County family breeds dogs, but planned to keep 10-week-old Gremlin, a French Bulldog, because their son had grown attached.

Anna Stanford, who is a licensed breeder with Palmetto Creek Frenchies, said that her teenage son was holding Gremlin at a dog show at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds on Saturday.

She says her son was approached by a group of men who asked if he wanted to play a cup shuffle game while they held Gremlin.

“They were taking advantage of a minor,” Stanford said. “He’s 16 years old.”

That’s when she says they walked off with the puppy.

“My son comes running back to the booth saying, ‘Somebody stole the dogs, somebody stole the dogs,’” she recalled.

When the family attempted to notify deputies, they couldn’t find the people who approached her son, Stanford said.

She filed a report with the deputies with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office who were working security.

With the cold weather here, Stanford is warning others to hold their puppies a little tighter.

“A lot of French Bulldogs are being stolen,” she said. “We really want him home.”

The Stanford family is offering a $2,500 reward for his safe return.

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