Baltimore  Sun

Burglars take presents — and family dog

Richard Irwin

December 25, 2009

City police were seeking whoever broke into a Gardenville house Wednesday evening and stole several Christmas presents, electronic equipment, video games - and the family dog.

Keith Alioto, 41, of the 5700 block of Belle Vista Ave. said he, his wife and six children left the house about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and returned about 11 p.m. to find the house had been broken into through a rear window and that the TV, Christmas presents, two computer monitors and other items were missing.

"The rooms were messed up, and at first I thought Max, our 4-month-old mixed-breed dog, had gotten out of the kitchen through a gate and got into things," said Alioto.

He said it suddenly occurred to him that the dog also was gone, and his children are now heartbroken.

"He's a wonderful family pet, and we hope that whoever took him will somehow make arrangement to return Max to us," said Alioto.

The dog is mostly black with brown and white chest and paws. He said the dog had no collar, having outgrown it. Alioto said fliers with a photo of the missing dog have been distributed throughout the area.