2 dogs rescued after being kidnapped, ransomed for over $1 million

Two men were arrested in connection with the theft and ransom of two dogs in Switzerland, police said Saturday.

The dogs’ owner, a 59-year-old Swiss man, returned to his apartment in Zurich’s Schlieren neighborhood on Feb. 24 and found that his two Bolonka dogs had been stolen, Swiss police said in a news release. The thieves left a blackmail letter demanding 1 million Swiss francs, or about $1,135,271, to release the dogs.

The American Kennel Club describes Bolonka dogs as a friendly, affectionate breed of toy dogs. The small dogs are a member of the Bichon family and were bred as house pets. The cost to buy a Bolonka puppy is between $1,500 and $3,000, according to sales listed by the AKC.

The dogs’ owner, who was not been identified, called the police, who began investigating the theft. On Thursday, they arrested a 30-year-old Norwegian man at Zurich Airport. Police said the Norwegian man was about to leave the country. He is now in custody in Switzerland, police said.

Further investigations led police to Poland. Investigators determined that a 38-year-old Polish man was “presumably involved in the theft.” Polish police arrested the man on March 5. Further investigations will be handled by Polish police, officials said.

Polish police found the two dogs at the home. The dogs’ owner traveled to Poland and regained custody of the canines on Friday.