Pet adoption groups said "pet-flipping" is a startling trend that has grown across Middle Tennessee, and it could be behind the theft of a nine-week-old puppy in broad daylight on Thursday.
Taylor Olcott says her friends were playing with her puppy, named Enzo, in their gated front yard when they stepped inside for less than a minute.
Then witnesses say someone stepped out of a car, picked up the pup, and drove off with it.
Animal adoption groups say this kind of puppy stealing has dramatically increased over the last two years in middle Tennessee, often run by so called "pet flipping" rings who will sell puppies for profit online.
“It’s someone who sees this cute, fluffy puppy, not as someone’s pet or loved animal, but they see it as an opportunity to make some quick cash,” Olcott said.
A picture of Enzo has been shared more than 2,000 times across the country on Facebook.
