Somerset on Tuesday night.

The eight week old pitbull terrier-cross puppies were due to be put up for adoption yesterday until someone broke into the kennel taking them along with four cases of canned and dry dog food.

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks volunteer Miss Theresa Moore, who had been caretaker of the puppies since their birth, said the dogs were taken sometime between Tuesday afternoon and yesterday morning.

"I am very upset, if they wanted the puppies all they had to do was ask,'' Miss Moore said.

She added that when she arrived at the kennels yesterday morning she did not notice that someone had broken in the back door.

"I discovered that the food dishes in the kennel were open but I just thought Shinah (dog warden Mr. Leonard (Shinah) Simons) had already taken the puppies to the SPCA for adoption,'' Miss Moore said.

However, when she found out that neither Mr. Simons nor assistant dog warden Mr. Jeffery Benevides had the puppies she realised they had been stolen.

"I felt like I had lost my children. It was bad enough for me knowing that they were going to be put up for adoption,'' Miss Moore said.

Mr. Simons said Miss Moore had done everything for the puppies which she had already named. A sixth puppy had already been given away.

"The person or persons who stole these puppies are probably going to try and sell them, and I want them to know that anyone found in possession of these puppies could be prosecuted for possession of stolen property,'' Mr. Simons said.

Agriculture Fisheries and Parks Government veterinary officer Dr. Neil Burnie said the 1992 Dogs Act makes it an offence to receive any puppy other than from a licensed source. "These sources are the SPCA, the Government Dog Control department, licensed breeders or licensed brokers such as pet stores or other importers of dogs,'' he said.

Any person who is not a licensed broker or breeder and is trying to sell a puppy is "potentially going to get whoever is buying or receiving the dog into serious trouble''.

The puppies are: Jasmine, a tan female, white feet, white tip on tail, blue/green eyes, white chest and a tiny white dot on the back of her neck; Rusty, dark tan, rusty coloured male with blue/green eyes, white toes, a white diamond shape on the back of the neck, a white spot on his chin and a white chest; Phoebe,a medium tan female with white feet and a white streak on her chest; Buddy, a brindle male with a white chest; and Patches, a male with white and tan spots, tan ears, white patches on his face, tan coloured chin and a white chest.

PUPPYLESS -- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks volunteer Theresa Moore poses with the mother of the five stolen pitbull terrier-cross puppies.