Dog owner ‘devastated’ after man drove off with her two pets and car while she filled up at North London petrol station

A woman was left devastated after her two pet dogs were stolen along with her car as she filled up at a petrol station in North London.

Babette Lee was filling up her car at Tesco Express in Oakwood, Barnet ,on Sunday afternoon (January 30) when her car was stolen with her dogs inside.

Ms Lee, a beautician from South London had taken the dogs, a Pomeranian and Chihuahua for a walk shortly before the incident, and has described the theft as like “having my family stolen”.

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“The man jumped in on the passenger side and climbed over,” she said. “I was still putting the petrol in when he was driving off, it was pulling me along.”

She described the man as being white, skinny, “gaunt looking” and bearded.

Ms Lee, who is self-employed, said the car also contained equipment and supplies she relies on for her work as a beautician, which she believes is worth around £5,000.

Babette Lee with her dogs who were stolen while she filled up at a petrol station

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The beautician believes she may have been targeted and the thief may have seen the dogs in the car.

She is trying to raise money to put up as a reward for their return and says she “doesn’t care” about her car, and is just desperate to have her dogs back.

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The stolen Pomeranian and Chihuahua

“They’re my life”, she said. “I get them up, feed them, walk them, take them to work with me, take them to bed with me.

“I am losing my mind. I can’t think about anything else. I can’t sleep. They’re my babies.”

“I can’t believe someone would do something like that. They just see them as something to sell.” she added

The Metropolitan Police is investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made.

Ms Lee is one of a growing number of dog owners to have been specifically targeted for her pets. The crime has been on the rise in recent years, and dogs’ values have also increased, partly due to a spike in demand during the Covid pandemic.

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https://www.mylondon.news/news/north-london-news/dog-owner-devastated-after-man-22971042

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