15 August 2023 , 00:28
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A heartbroken dog owner is scared to go out after being battered by a 'knife-wielding couple wearing balaclavas' - who snatched her £2,000 Frenchie just five minutes from her front door.
Kacey Williamson was walking the 15-minute journey from her home to her mum's with Bambi in Leeds, West Yorks, on Wednesday [August 9th] at around 11.15pm when she was targeted. The 19-year-old claims that a man and a woman wearing balaclavas approached her from behind.
While the man stepped in front to block her path and scooped up her beloved eight-month-old pooch, the woman allegedly hit her over the head with 'something metal' and both were punching her 'for a minute'. Kacey says she did her best to keep hold of Bambi's lead but it became tight around her neck so let go to avoid strangling the panicked pup.
She claims as the pair ran off with Bambi, Kacey desperately flagged down a taxi and the driver managed to catch up with them. But when the brave taxi driver hopped out of the car to confront the dognappers, Kacey claims the man pulled out a knife so they backed off and called the police.
The incident happened on Wednesday at about 11.15pm (Kennedy News and Media)Devastated Kacey says the incident has left her too afraid to leave the house and she's 'willing to do anything' to get her pet back. Kacey, from Leeds, West Yorks, said: "It was awful, I was only five minutes away from home. Two people came behind me wearing balaclavas. He got in front of me and I was in the middle.
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"I knew what they were going to do, I was screaming and they attacked me. Both of them were punching me and she was hitting me with the bar. It was multiple times for about a minute. I was petrified, it felt like it went on for so long. I couldn't move or do much, she was hitting me over the head with something metal and trying to knock me out.
"He had Bambi in his arms. She was so confused, she doesn't bite, she didn't have a clue what to do. I had hold of the lead but it was strangling her so I had to let it go and they ran off. I pulled a taxi driver over and begged him to turn around so we went after them but the man pulled out a knife. If we didn't let her go then he probably would have stabbed me.
"I was too scared, I was just screaming. I called the police straight away. You don't think stuff like that is going to happen in your own area. It was crazy. Stuff like that you see in movies. Two people have seen a vulnerable girl with a French Bulldog and realised they can make some quick money."
Kacey says she can't bear staying at her own home without Bambi, who is worth between £1,500 and £2,000. She's also too scared to leave her friend's house where she's been staying since Wednesday night. Kacey said: "I just want my baby home. She's worth nothing to anyone but me, she's got a loving home.
Police asked anybody with information to contact officers (Kennedy News and Media)"I just want to know where she is. It's doing my head in knowing she's somewhere and I don't know where. I don't want her to be used for money. I don't even care, I'll pay for her if she's been sold on. I'll do anything for her back. I haven't even been staying at my own place. I'm so used to her standing at the top of the stairs waiting to see me, I don't want to go out. People don't understand, they're like children. I can't imagine how scared she is."
Bambi takes medication every three months for a skin condition and has a special diet, a fact unknown to the dognappers that Kacey fears may endanger her life. Kacey said: "She takes meds every six months for her skin condition and these people don't know that. She only eats certain foods, they're going to end up killing her."
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "Police received a report of a robbery which is said to have occurred [...] during the evening of Wednesday 9 August when a small dog was taken from a woman walking down [a road in] Belle Isle. A crime has been recorded and a number of active enquiries remain ongoing into the incident by Leeds District Police. Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact the Leeds District Crime Team."