LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A search is underway after a 4-month-old Akita puppy was stolen from a parked Tesla early Monday morning in Las Vegas, despite the car being in "dog mode."
The puppy's owner, Magdalena Kovacheva, is desperately searching for her dog named Xero after someone smashed the window of her rented Tesla and took the puppy while she was briefly inside a grocery store.
VIDEO: Alyssa Bethencourt gives the latest on stolen puppy from Tesla
"The window was bashed in. I just went into complete shock," Kovacheva said.
The theft occurred around 3:15 a.m. Monday in a WinCo parking lot off West Washington Avenue in the northwest valley. Kovacheva had left Xero inside the car with Tesla's "dog mode" activated, a feature that keeps the air conditioning running and displays a message on the screen informing people that the pet inside is safe and the owner will return soon.
Kovacheva said she immediately called 911, but says dispatch told her it wasn't considered an emergency. She filed a report with Las Vegas Metro Police, but told us the surveillance footage from the store isn't being released without a subpoena, which can only be executed by law enforcement.
She said the on-site security guard claimed to be on break and saw nothing.
"I've been thinking maybe because it said there's a dog in the car and that's why they broke in," Kovacheva said.
There's a legal component to consider as well. In Nevada, it's only legal to break into a car to save a child — not a pet, even if the animal appears to be in distress.
It remains unclear whether the person who took Xero thought they were rescuing the puppy or simply saw an opportunity to steal an expensive dog for profit.
Xero's face is now spreading on social media, and Kovacheva hopes someone saw something and will speak up.
"I'm not looking to get into it with anyone. I just want the puppy home and safe," she said.
If you were in the grocery store parking lot between 3 and 3:30 Monday morning or have any information about this puppy's disappearance, you are asked to contact Las Vegas Metro Police or reach out to Kovacheva directly at 818-821-4584.
