French bulldogs were taken from the home of a Shirley...

French bulldogs were taken from the home of a Shirley dog breeder early Sunday morning, Suffolk police said. Credit: scpd/scpd

Seven French bulldogs were stolen from a Shirley home early Sunday morning while the owner slept, Suffolk County police said Sunday.

The burglar or burglars broke into a detached building at about 3:15 a.m. and stole two 6-month-old French bulldogs and five 1-month-old puppies, police said. The owner did not wake up while the dogs were being stolen.

Police said the owner is a dog breeder and that the theft was reported to the police at about 7:50 a.m.

French bulldogs, which can fetch $5,000 to $10,000 each, are the most commonly stolen breed in the United States, Newsday previously reported, citing the American Kennel Club. The website Petfinder.com estimates that about 2 million dogs are stolen every year but only about 10% are recovered. 

Police ask for anyone with information on the theft to call the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477.

What began as a desperate hunt for Shannan Gilbert in the marshes near Gilgo Beach became, in three astonishing days in December 2010, the unmasking of a possible serial killer. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed has more.  Credit: Newsday/A. J. Singh; File Footage; Photo Credit: SCPD

'We had absolutely no idea what happened to her' What began as a desperate hunt for Shannan Gilbert in the marshes near Gilgo Beach became, in three astonishing days in December 2010, the unmasking of a possible serial killer. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed has more.

What began as a desperate hunt for Shannan Gilbert in the marshes near Gilgo Beach became, in three astonishing days in December 2010, the unmasking of a possible serial killer. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed has more.  Credit: Newsday/A. J. Singh; File Footage; Photo Credit: SCPD

'We had absolutely no idea what happened to her' What began as a desperate hunt for Shannan Gilbert in the marshes near Gilgo Beach became, in three astonishing days in December 2010, the unmasking of a possible serial killer. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed has more.

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