Woman Beaten and Robbed of French Bulldog at Gunpoint – the Latest Theft of the Popular Breed

A woman was beaten and robbed at gunpoint on the Northwest Side of Chicago this week, but soon realized that the attacker was not after her money or phone. He wanted her French bulldog Peppa.

Alicja Pierzchala was taking Peppa for a walk in Portage Park on the city's northwest side when someone approached from behind and grabbed her dog.

"I wanted to help her, and then he put a gun to my forehead and right away hit me in my right shoulder," she told Chicago's WGN-TV.

Pierzchala was taken to the hospital with cuts on her wrists and forehead as well as a concussion. She said she had the dog for only two months after saving her from owners who planned to have her put down.

Pierzchala's violent robbery of her pet is the latest example of thieves targeting America's most popular dog breed. Dog thefts are up 40% from 2021—with French bulldogs topping the list of targets, according to the American Kennel Club.

Perhaps most famously, an assistant for Lady Gaga was shot in 2021 as a group of attackers stole the superstar's pair of French bulldogs. Meanwhile, earlier this month, a man in Woodbridge, New Jersey reported that his 4-month-old French bulldog Enzo was being held for $8,000 in ransom.

French bulldogs can be worth between $1,500 and $3,000, although prices can climb into the five figures for dogs from prestigious breeders, according to MarketWatch.

In 2022, French Bulldogs were listed as the number one dog breed in the U.S. by the American Kennel Club, the first breed to usurp the Labrador Retriever since 1991.