Valuable French bulldog missing

She's the size of a five pound sack of flour and the owners of the Ballard Pet Store believe someone slipped her out of the store under his coat Monday night.

The two-month-old puppy, a French bulldog, is taking medication for an infection and owner Norm Blacksher worries the dog could develop pneumonia and die if not treated with antibiotics.

"I'd love to get the puppy back," he said. "The dog is a baby and it needs medication and it could get sicker."

The rare dog, which had a price tag of nearly $2,600, was purchased from a breeder in Nebraska and had only been in the store for five days. Blacksher said she's the most-expensive dog he's ever had for sale.

While he didn't see her stolen, he suspects the dog was taken by a couple that came into the store. He thinks the woman distracted employees while the man put the dog under his coat and fled, Blacksher said.

He's put posters up and down the street and is offering a $300 reward for the return of the dog.

It's not the first time a dog has been stolen from his store, he said. Six months ago some teenagers came in, distracted the staff and stole a Pomeranian. He drove for hours around Ballard trying to find the dog, but never found it.

French bulldogs grow to about a foot tall and weigh about 25 pounds.

"My only hope is that the people who stole her for their pet will take good care of her," Blacksher said.