Search on for puppy stolen from Spring Hill store

One of the most expensive single items to be shoplifted in the Fox Valley in recent months was one that could walk and speak — a puppy snatched by a woman from a northwest suburban pet store in West Dundee.

Evelyn Grisselle, owner of the Puppy Steps store at Spring Hill, said that a young woman described as white with black hair, blue eyes and a nose piercing came into the store at about 4 p.m. Friday, took a 2-month-old male border collie from its crib and left the store with him.

The puppy, whose breed often is cited as the most intelligent of all dog varieties, weighs about 6 pounds. It is mostly white with some touches of gray, she said.

A West Dundee police spokeswoman said that the store valued the puppy at $1,400. She said there were no leads yet in the case, and on Tuesday there was no additional information released by police.

"Puppy Steps has all of their pets protected with HelpmefindMYPET.com, a national microchip registry and alert service for lost and stolen pets," Grisselle said Monday in a written statement. "Puppy Steps immediately reported the stolen puppy to HelpmefindMYPET.com and an alert was sent out to the pet community within a 25-mile radius of the store. The alert that was sent out included a photo of the puppy and physical description."

The alert and photo can be viewed online HERE.

Anyone with information about the location of the stolen puppy should contact their local police or helpmefindMYPET at 866-699-3463.

"The puppy's safety is the store's primary concern," the store owner said. "Young puppies require special care at this young age. If not taken care of properly, he could become fatally ill."