At least two families whose beloved dogs were stolen from a park in Langley have apparently been targeted by scammers.

The families said they received phone calls from a man who purported to have their dog, and asked for money to be wire-transferred to him.

"That's just the cruelest thing anyone could do to a person, it's so wrong. We offered him $1,000 in cash, in person and he hung up on us," said Colleen King, one of the dog’s owners.

A total of six dogs were taken Tuesday afternoon from the back of a dog walker’s truck in Brookswood Dog Park near 206 Street and 44th Avenue.

"This has just been gut-wrenching to say the least,” said dog walker Emma Paulsen.

Many of the families who were victims of the dog-napping returned to the dog park on Thursday to continue handing out flyers and spread the word about their missing pets.

"People don't realize how dogs are family,” said one dog owner at the park who went to the park to support the owners of the missing dogs. “It’s just super emotional ... I just have trouble talking about it because my dog is 12 years old, he's been by my side every day.”

Louise Scott could not go to the dog park to assist in the search as her mobility is severely limited. Her husband passed away in 2013 and now her companion, a German Shepherd/Blue Heeler cross named Molly is missing. Scott rescued the dog from the SPCA and described her as an “excellent watchdog.”

“It’s lonely without her,” Scott said.

Paulsen left her truck in the park Wednesday night with food, water and clothing items that the dogs would find familiar. When she returned to the park Thursday morning, her truck had been towed.

"So the dogs didn't get a chance, if they are in the area here, to get back to [the truck]," Paulsen said.

Alesha and Al MacLellan of Petsearchers Canada said they are on the case and will track the dogs when they find solid lead.

"We're going to wait for a good sighting and then we'll take our blood hounds out and track from there," Al MacLellan said.

Here’s a description of the missing dogs:

  • Mia - A black and white pit bull
  • Teemo – A grey Bouvier-poodle cross
  • Buddy – A black and white Boston terrier
  • Oscar – A black and brown Rottweiler / Husky cross
  • Salty – A Border collie
  • Molly – A grey and black blue heeler / shepherd cross

Anyone with information is urged to call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200, or reach out to the dog’s owners through this page.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Hurst