Armed suspect steals family’s French bulldog during Houston walk

An armed passenger snatched Nova, a French bulldog that the Boesem-Stewart family says helps comfort its special-needs children, during a morning walk on Houston’s northeast side and set off a frantic search that ended with the dog found unharmed about 10 miles from home.

The family said two teenage brothers were walking Nova and their other French bulldog, Star, near Woodlyn and Denton when a white vehicle pulled up. The passenger opened the door, pointed a gun at the teens and took Nova before driving away, turning a routine neighborhood outing into a robbery in plain sight. Star was not taken.

Nora Boesem said Nova was given to the children as a companion animal, a detail that explains why the theft landed as more than a property crime. Kendrick Stewart said one of the boys called him immediately after the dog was taken, and he panicked because he did not know whether his children were also in danger. In a case like this, the threat was not limited to the value of the animal. It was the fear created in seconds on a street where the family expected to be safe.

Houston police later found Nova and returned her to the family after she was discovered about 10 miles from her home unharmed. The recovery eased the immediate worry, but it did not erase the violence of the theft or the shock of having a family pet taken at gunpoint. Police and the family urged anyone with information to contact authorities or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS.

The episode also fits a pattern Houston has seen before. In March 2023, another French bulldog in the city was stolen during a home invasion on Park Row, and that dog was valued at $4,000. French bulldogs have become attractive targets because they are expensive, recognizable and easy to resell, a combination that can turn a pet into a high-dollar prize for thieves. For Harris County families, the lesson is unsettling: even an ordinary walk can carry the risk of an armed robbery when a breed prized in the resale market is in the leash.