Washington DC - A dog owner is completely distraught over a brazen pet theft, and now police are asking the public for help finding the pup.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police Department, a local woman had parked her car on M Street at around 1 PM on Saturday, turned on the air conditioning, and left her Shih Tzu named Theo and a handbag inside.

The dog was wearing a green collar with a bone-shaped identification tag.

The owner told Fox5 that she was engrossed in a conversation with her daughter's rowing coach.

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The unknown thieves used this time to steal both the dog and her child's designer Juicy Couture bag.

While the material loss may be bearable, the disappearance of the pet hurts all the more.

"Theo is our baby, the baby of our family,... We just want him back," said the owner.

"My daughter hasn't even spoken in days because Theo is missing," she added.

The police are now appealing for help from witnesses and are offering a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.