Couple search for dog stolen in DC carjacking

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — A D.C. couple is asking for the community's help after they say their dog was stolen during an attempted armed carjacking in Prince George's County.

James and Alexa say after they returned home from their honeymoon, they got a call from their pet sitter telling them their three-year-old dog Duke had been taken. “She's bawling, she's crying. She says Duke has been taken. Duke has been stolen,” James told WUSA9.

The dog was allegedly stolen Friday night at 9 p.m. on Livingston Road in the Fort Washington area of Prince George's County. James said the pet sitter told them she had pulled over to the side of the road and was adjusting her GPS when she was confronted by two armed men. “All the sudden two guys pull up, armed with handguns saying get out or we are going to kill you,” he said. 

The couple says the sitter told them that their 80-pound, 27-inch-tall gentle giant was sitting in the back seat.

“She had a German Shepard in the front seat, that was very aggressive, pushing back, deterring them. They get the back doors open and they grab Duke,” James said. He says the sitter is still very shaken by what happened, but luckily, she was not harmed. 

As Prince George's County Police investigate the alleged carjacking, the couple is spreading the word and conducting their own search. They are offering a $2,000 reward for Duke's safe return, with no questions asked.

“Police have suggested that he could be used bait for dog fighting. He could be sold anywhere in the country to an unsuspected buyer, or he could have gotten loose and been released and he could be outdoors in the DMV,” Alexis said.  

Anyone with information is asked to call (202) 922-7035.