Heartbreaking CCTV footage has captured the moment an adorable dog was brutally stolen from her home by a masked thief with a hammer.
Twiglet, a brown miniature dachshund, was kidnapped by a heartless burglar posing as a delivery driver from a home in Saffron Walden, Essex.
Distressing video of the incident shows alarms blaring and the dog repeatedly barking at the man as he breaks into the property wearing a face covering.
Dressed in a hi-vis jacket with blue jeans, white trainers, gloves and a baseball cap, the intruder attempts to corner the 16-month-old puppy in the kitchen.
The little dog is seen panicking frantically and trying to escape the clutches of the stranger as he skids across the floor in an attempt to get away.
But the cruel thief forcefully pins Twiglet to the ground using his hands and the hammer, while she continues to scream and cry.
Completely petrified, Twiglet desperately tries to free herself and nearly manages to run away, but the man then aggressively pulls her up.
He clasps his hand over his mouth in an attempt to stop her barking before picking her up and quickly fleeing the scene to Catmere End through the broken glass door.
Twiglet has not been seen since being taken from her home in horrific circumstances around 3pm yesterday (Wednesday July 27).
Police released the shocking footage of its theft in a bid to find the animal and return it to its distraught owners.
Detective Inspector Jamie Stirland said: ‘This burglary has been incredibly distressing for the victims and, as the public can imagine, they just want to see Twiglet’s safe return.
“Thefts like these are rare and we take this investigation seriously and are carrying out several investigations, including reviewing CCTV in the area.
“We call on anyone who may have information to contact us and participate in this investigation.
“I also make a direct appeal to the man in this video, asking him to bring Twiglet back safely.”
No arrests have been made and officers are continuing their investigations.
Essex Police have asked anyone with information such as relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to contact the force on 101 or report it online.
Earlier this month a dog who had been “abandoned for days in a stolen car” was rescued by police and reunited with its owners.
Contact our press team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check out our news page.
Get breaking news, wellness stories, analysis and more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.