Calif. Woman Is Assaulted by Armed Robbers Who Steal Her 5-Month-Old Puppy

KC Baker
·3 min read

Courtesy Sarah Vorhaus Chloe the French bulldog

A San Francisco woman is desperately trying to find her beloved 5-month-old puppy, Chloe, who was stolen from her at gunpoint after she was brutally attacked last week.

On Jan. 5, Sarah Vorhaus, 30, was walking her 8-year-old Shiba Inu and her French bulldog puppy in the Russian Hill section of San Francisco just blocks from Fisherman's Wharf, when three unknown male suspects approached her, the San Francisco Police Department says in a statement.

One of the men ordered her to hand over her puppy, she told the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Give me your dog," he told her twice, she told the outlet.

Courtesy Sarah Vorhaus Sarah Vorhaus

Then, she said, he showed his gun and punched her in the face before running off with the pup.

"He grabbed Chloe's leash, put her in the car and took off," Vorhaus said. "I started screaming as loud as I've ever screamed in my entire life. My nose was gushing blood. Apparently, someone on NextDoor posted that a woman is screaming bloody murder outside."

The man and the other two suspects jumped into a waiting car driven by a fourth man, say police.

Good Samaritans who saw what happened immediately called 911. "People were everywhere," she said. "So many people rushed to the street. There was a woman on the street who was so lovely. She was a trained EMT."

Residents brought Vorhaus a bag of frozen peas to put on her swollen face, the Chronicle reports.

Vorhaus was rushed to a local hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

She's recovering from the wounds she suffered in the attack – and is desperate to find her pup.

Courtesy Sarah Vorhaus Sarah Vorhaus

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"I would have given him so many other things, but not Chloe," Vorhaus told the Chronicle. "Thank God, they didn't take our other dog. We think the most important thing is to build as much awareness as possible. And then maybe someone will buy Chloe and see that it's her."

She hopes someone spots Chloe, who is gray with blue-gray eyes, and returns her.

"She is so unique looking," she told the Chronicle. "She has such a unique look. She responds to Chloe. I think there's a way to mobilize the community."

This investigation remains active and ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.