Brooklyn Nurses Reunite Stolen French Bulldog With Family

A trembling French bulldog wearing a pearl necklace caught the eye of Tiffany Latz as she arrived for her shift at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn on Monday morning. The nurse knew immediately that something was wrong.

Latz brought the dog inside to the emergency room bathroom, wrapping her in blankets and sharing her lunch while the pup warmed up. Together with her wife Amy O'Sullivan, also a nurse, she took the bulldog to a Staten Island veterinarian to check for a microchip.

"She was clearly so loved and taken care of, and I knew she had a home," Latz told reporters. The microchip revealed the dog's name was Coco, and she'd been reported stolen.

Just hours earlier, armed robbers had broken into a Bushwick apartment building around 2:15 a.m. Six men stormed through the building with guns, targeting two apartments. They stole a cell phone from one resident and took Coco along with $8,000 worth of Pokémon cards from another apartment.

Surveillance video captured one suspect carrying the frightened bulldog out of the building before the crew fled in two separate cars. The 27-year-old owner suffered minor injuries during the robbery.

After contacting the 83rd Precinct, Latz and O'Sullivan arranged for Coco's owner to meet them in Staten Island. The reunion brought tears and relief after what had been a terrifying morning for everyone involved.

Sunny's Take

This story shows how small acts of awareness can change everything. Latz could have assumed the dog was simply lost or walked past entirely. Instead, she took time during her workday to care for a scared animal and go the extra mile to find its family.

Her instinct that Coco was loved proved exactly right. The owner drove all the way from Brooklyn to Staten Island without hesitation, ready to be reunited with their beloved pet.

While the robbery investigation continues with no arrests yet, Coco is back home safe where she belongs, thanks to one nurse who saw a problem and decided to solve it.