Poodle allegedly stolen in Scarborough street robbery found safe

Toronto police say a man’s female toy poodle allegedly stolen during a street robbery in Scarborough has been found.

Police first tweeted about the alleged incident near McCowan Road and Finch Avenue just after midnight on Wednesday.

Investigators said three male suspects, one of them reportedly armed with a knife, robbed the man of his cellphone and his small, brown-and-grey poodle named Ding Ding.

“I hope they don’t hurt Ding Ding … Just don’t hurt the dog, let the dog go. Let the dog come home, please,” Tianyu Hu, the owner of the poodle, said.

“Me and my wife are heartbroken. We cannot sleep… we feel like we’ve lost a family member.”

Hu said he was almost home after taking Ding Ding for a walk when he was approached by the suspects and held at knife-point as they allegedly demanding money.

In an update released Wednesday evening, police thanked the public for assistance.

“Ding Ding has been found,” a spokesperson tweeted.

“No further details at this time as units will be responding to higher priority calls now that we know the dog is safe and sound.”