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Burglary Victim Doesn't Care About The Valuables, Just Her New Puppy

By Lauren DiSpirito

DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver woman says someone stole her 11-week-old puppy during a burglary at her home on Friday.

Sunni Nucci, a teacher at Mountain Range High School, says she left her home on the 4800 block of Beach Court in Denver for no more than three hours Friday to go to the gym and run errands. When she returned home, she noticed a window was damaged and her back door was ajar. Her first thoughts were of Bella, the 11-week-old shih tzu/poodle mix she'd brought home three weeks ago.

Bella
Bella (credit: Sunni Nucci/Facebook)

"I just went in frantically searching everywhere, screaming for her," Nucci said.

The dog was gone. The burglar or burglars had stolen Nucci's jewelry, TV, and two laptop computers; but it's Bella that she is worried about. Nucci posted photos of the puppy online hoping someone might see her photo and know where she is.

"I'm just panicked and sick," Nucci saud. "I can't imagine where she could be right now."

Bella
Bella (credit: Sunni Nucci/Facebook)

On Facebook, Nucci wrote the following:

Thank you for posting on your pages -- your support has meant the world to me. If you haven't already, please help! My puppy, Bella, was stolen from my home during a home burglary in Denver (48th & Beach Ct) on 06/03 between 9am & 12pm. They took EVERYTHING of value & trashed my house, but all I care about is her. I don't want people like that to have her. I'm so worried about her. She has a very loving home!
She is 11 weeks old, Shih-poo ( shi-itzu / poodle), mostly black with white paws & chin/some chest, umbilical hernia, with a friendly disposition.
I'm offering a generous CASH REWARD for information leading to her return, no questions asked! Please watch for people with new puppies or selling puppies. I know she is out there! I will never stop looking for her! :-(

"Somebody's going to be showing off a new puppy and she's just a very distinctive beautiful puppy," Nucci said. "I'm hoping that somebody will do the right thing and get her to the home that she's supposed to be."

Bella
Bella (credit: Sunni Nucci/Facebook)

Nucci says Denver police are investigating and recovered at least one fingerprint from the crime scene. It's unclear until test results come back whether that evidence will match whoever stole Bella.

Nucci thinks it's unlikely the dog walked out of the home and was lost. She thinks if that were the case a neighbor would have found Bella by now.

Lauren DiSpirito is CBS4's Northern Newsroom reporter. Follow her on Twitter @CBS4Lauren. Share your story ideas with her here.

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