LANSING, Mich. — Puppies Bunny and Gizmo are finally back home in Lansing after their owners said they were stolen at gunpoint.
Dezarae and Frank are breeders with Hollistic Bullies. They say they arranged a deal to give Gizmo a new home. They were supposed to meet up with his new owner in the parking lot of 12 Oaks Mall in Novi.
The couple didn’t want their last names used.
“12 Oaks Mall, you know, a public area,” Frank said. “Thought it was safe.”
What was supposed to be a friendly meet up with a man who they’d talked to for weeks turned into the couple and their young children being held at gun point.
“I would say it was a terrifying situation, you know, it’s scary,” Dezarae said.
Frank said the man explained his teenage children would like to see the puppies while he was in a store. Another young man came up with a gun while they were at their car.
“He pulls a pistol out and he cocks it, points it at me, and I grab it and try to rip it out of his hand and I hit his arm,” Frank said. “Tried to rip it out of his hand and fight with him for a minute. He jumps back and he’s just waiving it all around. I pulled my knife and started going at him trying to get him away from my kids.”
The couple said they searched all weekend for Bunny and Gizmo, never giving up hope. Sunday, they got an anonymous call letting them know their pups would be returned to a Detroit police station.
“We had a lot of good people who helped us,” Frank said. “Couldn’t have done it without social media, the police, and everyone who was involved.”
Now they have a stark warning for others and are hoping the suspects will be caught.
“Be careful,” Frank said. “People are crazy. They will do this to someone else. I don’t think it was their first time doing something like this, and it won’t be their last, and maybe next time he thinks instead of just pulling the gun, ‘just shoot him right away.' Who knows what he’s gonna do?”
Novi police are still investigating.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she has seen a surge in complaints of internet scammers using puppy scams and urged people to be cautious.
Police suggest meeting at a police station for any exchanges with strangers.
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