One of 10 stolen German shepherd puppies is shown in an RCMP handout photo.HO/The Canadian Press
The RCMP are investigating the theft of 10 German shepherd puppies from a backyard kennel in Nanaimo, B.C.
Police say the theft occurred around 3 a.m. Monday morning.
Since then, five of the eight-week-old puppies have been recovered, but police say the rest are still missing.
The owner told police that her daughter was awoken by a noise in the backyard and went out to their deck to investigate.
She screamed when she saw several people, dressed in toques and hoodies, who ran from the scene carrying the puppies before escaping in a dark coloured SUV.
Police say the owner has reached out to local animal care groups and the community, which has been very helpful in the RCMP investigation.