Hart County Family Offers Reward for The Safe Return of a Stolen Dog

HART COUNTY, Ky. (WBKO) – A family is asking for answers after one of their dogs was reportedly stolen out of their front yard in broad daylight.

Like any dog owner, Layton’s love for their dogs knows no bounds. Cheyenne Layton said, “They’re family.”

It is why they sound the alarm as their 3-year-old Toy Australian Shepherd named Tuff was reportedly stolen from their front lawn in broad daylight on Saturday around 10 a.m. in Hart County.

Cheyenne said, “He’s the sweetest thing. So he would have loaded up with anybody that talked to him. He’s my five-year-old daughter’s best friend. So she’s gonna want him home.”

Josh and Chyenne Layton were both home at the time this happened.

“As I leave and I passed the truck, not realizing that he had just stolen our dog, thinking it was traffic,” said Cheyenne.

While Cheyenne didn’t realize that the truck had just taken her beloved pup, their surveillance footage caught it on camera.

“First, they come from this way from the Horse Cave area. And they stop in the corner of the road down here,” said Josh. “And that’s where our toy Aussie was stolen. Then, they came back down the road, pulled up past our house here, stopped back in the driveway and then leave. You could only assume that they were coming back to try to stick tag one of our other two Aussies.”

The vehicle is believed to be a Black Chevy or GMC truck with dark-tinted windows. The couple says they are working to enhance the video to read the license plate.

Cheyenne said, “He’s not just the pet. He’s not just a breeder dog. He’s our dog. I don’t know how we’re supposed to tell a five-year-old and a 14-year-old that some bad person decided to help themselves to their dog in their own yard.”

The Layton’s are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the safe return of their sweet dog.

“We’re offering a reward to help motivate people to share about Tuff and get more word out because somebody is going to know this truck. We are too small of a community; there are five houses on this road. But, eventually, the truth is gonna come out, and we want our dog back,” said Cheyenne.

The Layton has added advanced surveillance around their property and inspired others with outside dogs to do the same. Anyone with information should contact the Hart County Sheriff’s Office.