Valley Stream family seeks return of beloved dog snatched from porch of their home

A woman brazenly snatched Apollo, a Valley Stream family's beloved dog, in broad daylight Wednesday, before casually leaving in a waiting sedan.

The theft, caught on a Ring doorbell camera, has left the pup's owner, Josephine Yeh, distraught and desperately seeking the public's help.

"I am anxious because I don't know the safety of Apollo," Yeh said Friday. "It's scary to know that someone could take him without contacting anyone. … To me it's a very evil thing to do."

Apollo, a 12-year-old Pomeranian, slipped out the back gate of the family's home on Broadway while Yeh's mother, who lives in the home, was unloading groceries.

The family did not immediately notice the pooch was outside when, around 2:30 p.m., a woman in a Champion sweatshirt and long braids in her hair can be seen casually walking to the porch, according to video shared with Newsday.

The woman greets the pet while a man in a silver sedan parked across the street can be heard saying "take the dog." The woman takes a quick look around, tells the dog to "come" and picks up Apollo. She tells the man "I don't know if they got something," which Yeh believes is a reference to the doorbell camera.

Yeh has posted flyers throughout the neighborhood, contacted area shelters and veterinarians, filed a police report and shared the Ring video on social media.

Apollo, who is recovering from a recent stroke that nearly took his life, is microchipped, but that will only help if the dog is brought to a local vet.

"I hope they do the right thing and return the dog to a vet or shelter or anonymously," Yeh said. "He should be returned back to his owner. Taking him from his home will only shock him and I don't know what he will do. I'm sure he's scared. … I don't want him to be traumatized any more."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.