The original story follows below:
When Danaja Novakovic decided to escape to Fort Lauderdale Beach from her home in Virginia, she was expecting some relaxing time in the sun with her brother and her beloved French bulldog, Georgie.
Instead, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, she was dognapping at the Cambria Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach on N. Ocean Boulevard.
Around 3 a.m., the Novakovics were hanging out with Georgie at the lobby bar.
“We were sitting at the bar. It was my brother, me and another couple,” says Danaja Novakovic. new times. The dog was loose but she could see the main entrance and there was a door chime, so she knew if Georgie wandered off, he couldn’t go far.
As the party chatted, she saw a woman in a black hoodie open the door separating the hotel restaurant, Gianni’s – which was closed at the time – from the lobby.
At the same time, Georgie left to investigate. What happened next is every dog owner’s nightmare.
When Novakovic noticed the dog was no longer at her feet, she looked up to see the woman had picked it up and was running away with it.
“That’s the last thing we know,” she said.
Novakovic says she filed a police report and hotel management reviewed CCTV footage.
She also posted a plea for help on Facebook on Wednesday morning.
new times left several messages for the general manager of the hotel but did not get a response.
Novakovic says she hasn’t been able to sleep since the incident.
“It’s literally crazy. I haven’t slept or eaten. I haven’t even changed my clothes.” She says her tropical getaway turned into a search for her beloved pet. “I’m driving all over Fort Lauderdale at two miles an hour, looking for Georgie.”
She describes Georgie as a nine-month-old black brindle French bulldog who weighs 20 pounds. “He loves everyone,” she said. “He will approach literally anyone.” The dog is microchipped and the registry has been notified that it has been stolen.
The Croatian native is still in a state of disbelief over what happened. “I’ve never heard of people stealing dogs,” she says. “I left him off leash because I never think about the worst.”
After posting the notice on Facebook, a commenter reported seeing a dog that looked like Georgie with a woman at the Whole Foods Market on the N. Federal Highway.
But Georgie and her captor remain free.
Novakovic asks anyone who sees Georgie to call 911 and then contact her at Facebook or by calling him at 804-625-8440.
“Fort Lauderdale police said not to approach the person but to call 911 and let them know the case number – 34-2201-10506” and if possible keep Georgie in their sights, says- she.
Novakovic says she won’t rest until she finds her pup.
“I’m just wondering: is he eating? Is he safe? I didn’t know someone would intentionally steal my dog.”
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