Milwaukee missing French bulldog; family says flyers led to scam calls

Milwaukee missing French bulldog leads to scam calls

Pepe, a 1-year-old French bulldog, went missing near 12th and Hope last week, leaving a Milwaukee family devastated.

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee family is searching for their missing French bulldog – and says they’ve been targeted by scammers after offering a reward for the dog’s return.

What we know:

Pepe, a 1-year-old French bulldog valued at $4,000, slipped away last week near 12th and Hope. Her owners, Betsabe Brewer and her husband, plastered the neighborhood with flyers, but instead of helpful tips, they say they’ve received scam calls.

"He’s very heartbroken," Brewer said of her 3-year-old son. "When he sleeps, he cries in his sleep about the dog which I think is what breaks my heart the most."

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The family learned Pepe was last seen near Rufus King High School. They’re especially worried because she has an enlarged gland and cannot be bred.

On Friday night, Brewer said someone texted the number on their flyer claiming to have found the dog. But when the couple responded, they got silence. Later, the person replied that they planned to sell the dog for $1,500.

A second friend also reached out, trying to buy the dog.

Dig deeper:

"She said her name is Pepe, she is very chill, I can’t keep her very longer. I don’t have time for her and I’ve been looking for her owner,’ which is bull—-, because we were in contact," Brewer said.

Brewer says the situation escalated when the person called them with threats. She said Milwaukee police dismissed their complaint because the number came from a free texting app.

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"They dismissed us as if it was nothing," Brewer said.

By the numbers:

Karen Sparapani, executive director of MADACC, said it’s common for people to reach out with false claims for a reward. 

"Exploiting dogs for money is the easiest game in our town," she said. "The only thing they can do is make it too hard for that person to sell the dog."

What you can do:

Brewer said the scammer never proved they actually had Pepe. She isn’t giving up hope, and is asking anyone with information about the missing French bulldog to reach out.