Stolen French bulldogs return to Kirkland owner after harrowing journey

Kirkland police were able to reunite three French bulldogs — Socks, Fancy and Jon Poul — with their owner on Thursday. The dogs were stolen, along with their owner’s van, on April 5, according to the Kirkland Police Department (KPD).

The van was parked in a gas station parking lot on 124th Avenue in Kirkland when it was stolen around 8:30 p.m. The owner then reported the theft to the police.

Officers learned the man had parked directly in front of the gas station’s doors but left the van running and unlocked thinking he would only be gone for a moment.

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However, when he came out of the store, the van was gone along with his three Frenchies. The man told officers two of the dogs recently had surgery and needed medication for recovery.

Officers flagged the van as stolen and sent out the information to neighboring departments. Two days later, the van was found in Bellevue, but there were no dogs inside.

The next day, Kirkland investigators got a tip about the stolen dogs’ location and that someone was trying to sell them. A day later, Kirkland officers were investigating an unrelated case when they were given another tip about the stolen dogs.

After investigating, officers found all three dogs. KPD said the bulldogs “appeared healthy and happy and were reunited with their family.”

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The Bellevue Police Department (BPD) and the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) assisted in the case.

Last month, the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County rescued an English bulldog that was shot in the face, along with eight puppies.

And just last week, Tukwila police recovered a stolen SUV and found a pitbull and two puppies inside. The department is currently looking for the dogs’ owners.

A list of lost pets can be found on King County’s website.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.