BALTIMORE — Arthur Cook is a former Baltimore City patrol officer with a big heart for animals.
Since the late 1970s, his Harlem Avenue house has been home, and he and the family loves spending time with Bandit, their tan and white 3-year-old Shiba Inu.
"He goes everywhere with me. So I take him to Walmart, and it takes me an extra hour to get out of Walmart to say hello," Cook said.
Shiba Inu swiped from West Baltimore yard, family says
Cook says the family normally keeps their front gate closed. But on Tuesday night, Bandit was gone, and the gate was open.
"My heart sunk, when I looked down the street the first time and then the corner, I said, 'I know someone took him,' and my heart just sank," Cook said.
Cook thinks whoever took Bandit abandoned his AirTag near Franklintown and Baltimore Street, where surveillance footage captured the pup. He's also been working to put fliers across town.
"I had some made yesterday, and I was out posting them in the neighborhood I think he might be in. So I've just got my fingers crossed," Cook said.
Cook can only speculate as to why someone would want to take the family pup, but knows life hasn't been the same without him.
"He means the world to me, and I haven't felt that well since he's taken him. It's just like losing a child, so I'd love for him to return the dog," Cook said.
The Cook family says Bandit is their constant companion. They are offering a reward for the dog and filed a report with Baltimore Police on Thursday, determined to bring Bandit home.
RELATED: Baltimore family left devastated after beloved dog stolen from front yard
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
