A family in inner Sydney has been left heartbroken and distressed after their beloved puppy was allegedly stolen from their backyard in a shocking broad daylight incident. The brazen theft occurred in Redfern, leaving the owners reeling from the loss of their cherished pet.
Brazen Daylight Theft Captured on CCTV
Coleby, a five-month-old German shepherd, was in the family's backyard on Young Street in Redfern when he was allegedly taken by a stranger around 9.50am on Tuesday. Security footage from the property clearly shows a woman entering the backyard and walking out with the young dog.
"It's quite astonishing really. I guess the word is brazen," Coleby's owner, Naomi Johnson, told media. "He's part of our family. He's a really sweet little thing and a much-loved member of our family."
Family's Devastating Discovery
The 50-year-old mother of five had left for work as usual around 7am that morning, never expecting such a traumatic event to occur. Her husband, Matthew, who was working from home at the time, didn't realise Coleby was missing until approximately 11.30am.
When Matthew noticed the backyard gate was open, he initially thought the puppy might have wandered out on his own and immediately began searching the local area. After failing to find their pet, the family checked the CCTV cameras installed at the front of their property.
What they saw shocked them profoundly: clear footage of a woman entering their yard and leaving with their beloved dog. The visual evidence transformed their concern into the harsh reality of a deliberate theft.
Community Response and Investigation
Johnson quickly shared screenshots from the CCTV footage in local community groups, prompting an outpouring of anger and support from neighbours and residents. Several people responded with information, reporting they had seen the same woman walking with a black dog in the area, noting she appeared to have "not very good control over it."
"I feel really sad that he's just been taken from us and he's got no idea what's going on," Johnson expressed with evident emotion. "I worry about him being looked after properly. I'm pretty stressed about it and upset. It's consumed me since it happened. I've been thinking about it all the time, and my children are upset as well. It's affected our family a lot."
The distraught owner added her disbelief at the incident: "I just can't believe she's done it. I really can't believe that someone would do that."
Police Investigation Underway
New South Wales Police have confirmed an investigation is now underway after officers reviewed the CCTV footage from the family's property. Authorities are treating the incident as a serious matter and are following multiple lines of inquiry.
Johnson has publicly thanked the community for rallying around her family during this difficult time and has made an emotional plea for information. "We really want him back, we love him very much," she said, urging anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward.
Police are encouraging anyone with information, or relevant CCTV or dashcam footage from the Redfern area around the time of the incident, to contact Crime Stoppers immediately. The family remains hopeful that their much-loved puppy will be safely returned home soon.
