Thieves attack Seattle man with Parkinson's, steal late wife's English bulldog

SEATTLE -- Officials are looking for three people accused of stealing a beloved dog from a 68-year-old man in the Greenwood area.

Albert Boogaard said he was out for a walk with Quavo in the area of 90th Street and 6th Ave NW on Monday when the thieves came out of nowhere, attacked him, and took the dog.

"The guy got out of the car, came over, grabbed me in a bear hug from behind," he said. "I turned around and punched him a couple times right behind the ear.

Boxing is part of Albert's therapy to treat his Parkinson's Disease, but it wasn't enough.

"I'm not strong like I used to be, so they shoved me to the ground and grabbed my dog and took him," he said.

Quavo weighs more than 100 pounds,. "He's like a big teddy bear. He looks really scary but he's the total opposite. I mean, he'll lick you to death maybe," said Boogaard's stepdaughter Andrea Naylor.  The dog is not microchipped but he's easily recognizable because of the bald spots on his back from allergies.



"He's your buddy, and he was my mom's therapy dog for the last three years," she said.

The two went everywhere together until last month.

"All of a sudden my mom passed away," Naylor said. "She had a heart attack and we just had her wake on Saturday."

They're strong, but losing Quavo is another painful blow to this already grieving family.

"Happening so soon after the memorial really is shocking," Boogaard said.

Detectives spent the afternoon canvassing the Greenwood neighborhood surveillance video to try to help identify the suspects.

Albert is frustrated that he couldn't do more to keep the dog from being stolen.

"I used to be a big, strong guy before I started losing my health," he said. "Now, I am an old man. I don't like it a bit."

Albert and Andrea are reaching out to the public for help, hoping somebody knows the trio responsible for the theft. They've started a GoFundMe page that you can donate to.

Suspects are described as a white man in his 20's with pale skin, average build around 5'08" tall, with medium length dark brown hair, no visible tattoos and two black women in their 20's. Albert says they looked like normal, average people.

Quavo is a white and tan English bulldog with a black collar and black leash.  If you spot him you're asked to call 911.   If you know who has him, submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at www.P3tips.com.

You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS or use the P3 Tips App on your cell  phone. There is a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.