Army Soldier’s Family Searching For Puppy Stolen From Sooner Mall

One family's post-Christmas trip to Sooner Mall led to lots of tears, when their new puppy was stolen Thursday. Norman police are now investigating, as an Army soldier embarks on a new mission to save his daughter's dog. 

The Loftis family thought their brand new puppy would be safe in the bottom of their daughter’s stroller as they came to the mall. They never thought Bandit would become the victim of a bandit.

Jacob Loftis is spending his last day in Oklahoma checking every animal shelter, pet store and website he can think of, but his search has been unsuccessful. Jacob's mother just gave Bandit to his 3-year-old daughter as a Christmas gift earlier this week.

“His color is called sable, but he looks like an ash color with a black face,” Jacob says. “He’s about the size of a softball, so pretty hard to see.”

Jacob says the eight-week-old Pomeranian was his daughter's first pet. Now, though, he fears they will never see Bandit again, after the dog disappeared from their stroller at the mall. 

He says, “We think he probably hopped out real quick and then somebody just picked him up and left.”

Norman police are currently combing through surveillance video, but have not yet released any images of suspects. At least one mallgoer, though, thinks they spotted the puppy snatcher.

“We had one person that said that they saw two females with a puppy,” Jacob says.

As Jacob and his wife get ready to return to their duty station in Texas, they are struggling to explain to their daughter why Bandit may not be coming with them.

Jacob says, “She just keeps asking where he’s at, doesn’t really understand.”

They are asking for your help to find the pup, who is worth a lot more than money.

“Honestly we just want him back,” Jacob says. “I watched my wife and daughter bawl their eyes out last night, and if he just came back that would be really great.”

Jacob and his family head back to Fort Hood this weekend. If you have any information about Bandit’s whereabouts, Norman police ask you to call 405-321-1444.