'I just need my dog' Owner pleads for return of Frenchie stolen in Southwest Philadelphia break-in

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man in Southwest Philadelphia is desperate for answers after someone broke into his apartment on Chester Avenue and stole his 2-year-old French Bulldog named Lia.

"She probably just thinks she's okay and doesn't even know where I am," said Matt Molloy, as he broke down crying.

He went out for dinner with friends on Wednesday night around 6 p.m.

When he came home a couple of hours later, he found the front door of his apartment building had been kicked in.

When he got to his third-floor apartment, his door was open and his dog was gone. He believes someone knew the dog was there because no other apartment was targeted.

"She means literally everything to me," said Molloy. "I don't care about what happened. I'll forgive everything. I just need my dog."

Molloy is worried that someone might try to sell her, so he's papering the area with fliers offering a $5,000 reward for her safe return.

His family helped raise the money to get her back.

"I'm worried about her safety. I don't know, I'm praying that whoever took her sees my reward and passes her on to someone," Molloy said.

Philadelphia police are involved in the search. Molloy says a detective dusted his apartment for prints. Other items were also stolen in the break-in.

He is begging people to be on the lookout for little Lia.

"When we wake up, the first thing is she jumps up and runs and is so excited," Molloy said. "Getting up out of bed this morning was so hard. I didn't have Lia to greet me."

If you have any information, call 610-247-3357.