Stolen French bulldog reunited with owner in Merced

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Lots of cuddles, kisses and scratches for 9-month-old French bulldog, Hazel as she reunited with her family.

Her owner, Kimberly Barron, says she was stolen from her own yard in Atwater last week.

"I went to give her food and I was like, 'Haze, Haze where you at' and my Hazel was nowhere to be found and I freaked out," Barron explained.

Hazel had been missing for three days.

"I was very devastated. My kids have autism, she's part of our family and honestly, without her, we didn't feel like home," Barron said.

But on Monday, Merced Police found the dog as they were conducting a search warrant on Cortana Court.

"We found a lot of stolen power tools from places like Lowe's, stolen firearms, approximately two stolen firearms, stolen ammunition and we found a stolen dog," Merced Police Sgt. Christian Lupian said.

The recovered items were part of a rash of thefts in Merced and Stanislaus counties.

Officers arrested 24-year-old Moises Arredondo and 36-year-old Randy Glass Jr. for possession of stolen property and firearms among other charges.

Police say the suspects knew Hazel was valuable.

"Those are expensive dogs, so it's common those dogs are stolen. People breed them and sell them for $5,000-$15,000," Sgt. Lupian explained.

Hazel's owner grateful to police for reuniting her with her baby.

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