A Gqeberha family has launched a frantic search for their beloved 11-week-old Beagle, Max, who was snatched from their family home in Parsons Ridge on Wednesday.
Since Max' disappearance, the family has widely circulated video footage of an unknown woman driving a white Honda Jazz, who seemingly snatched the dog at their front gate.
Owner Kim Mangale told Algoa FM News that Max and his sister, Mila, were both taken on Wednesday, but only Mila was returned
Mangale said when she left home around 3pm on Wednesday, both dogs were in the backyard
It would seem that they wondered to the front gate and managed to squeeze themselves through an opening
When Mangale returned home at 17:45 a frantic search for the dogs ensued in the area
"While we were looking for them the woman pulled up in the vehicle and Mila was sitting in her lap
"I was so relieved and I started thanking her
"She even told me that she had purchased Mila a leash
"I told her that God will bless her for returning my dog back home.
According to Mangale, she then asked the woman if she had seen Max
The woman responded by saying she did not and then said she saw him running into someone's yard
"She could not tell me whose yard and added that she was not from the area and it was dark," said Mangale
The family did not suspect anything, until they reviewed their home CCTV-footage later that night
This is when they noticed what they called suspicious behaviour by the same woman in the Honda Jazz
In the footage the woman is seen driving down the street in her car
Moments later she stops in front of the Mangale household on the opposite side of the street
She gets out of her vehicle and disappears from view for a while
When she returns she is seen carrying an object (believed to be one of the dogs) and places it in the car
After that, she walks over to the front gate, bends down and picks up something else, that is also placed into the vehicle before she drives off
Mangale is of the opinion that the woman was captures taking Mila and Ma
She has reported the matter to the police and has since distributed the video footage in the hope to track down Max
"I want to appeal to anyone who has any information to please come forward
"We have had a sleepless night and his disappearance is particularly hard on our son, Wyatt," she said.
