Ten puppies were stolen from Hammond's “Hug-A-Pup” pet store, located at 6921 Calumet Ave., early Monday morning. Hammond Police are investigating. (Christin Nance Lazerus / Post-Tribune)

Hammond Police are looking for two teens who may have been involved in an early Monday morning burglary that netted 10 puppies.

According to security camera footage, around 2:30 a.m. Monday, two suspects smashed out a window on the north side of the “Hug-A-Pup” pet store, 6921 Calumet Ave. Once inside, they took 10 puppies from their cages and placed them in a large duffel bag and then fled eastbound down the rear alley of the 800 block of 169th Place, police said.

The two took four orange Pomeranians, three white poodles and three white and orange “teddy bears” or shih-tzu-Maltese mixes, police said.

When store owner Susan Nawrocki walked in the door of the business on Monday, she saw broken glass and immediately thought one of the dogs had gotten loose.

“But then I turned around and saw the cages open and my heart fell,” Nawrocki said. “They threw them in the duffel bag with no care at all.”

The puppies had just arrived at the shop on Sept. 8.

Nawrocki said she’s been driving around the nearby alleyways to see if she can hear the puppies whining because they are so young.

“There’s a 99% chance we’ll never get them back,” she said. “I’m just in total shock.”

She said the store has been robbed before, but in that case, only computer equipment was stolen.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ron Hill at 219-852-2980 or by email at rhill@hammondpolice.com.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.