Schoolgirl Jessica Rovoredo is nursing a broken heart after a thief snatched her 12-week-old puppy from the family's back yard.

The 15-year-old girl is one of the latest victims of dog thieves on the Island who steal the animals and use them for breeding or fighting.

It is a growing problem with Pitbull breeds, and last night Charles Whited, inspector for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said he received a report of puppy theft almost every day.

Jessica, a pupil at CedarBridge Academy, and her 22-year-old sister Paula, who is very sick with a wasting disease, only had Zeka for about a month when she was taken during the early hours.

She said every day for the last two weeks she has looked for the chocolate brown and white female Pitbull cross, which has a distinctive brown patch around one eye. But every time her search has failed.

Last night she called on members of the public to help her find her pet.

"Me and my sister got Zeka when she was just eight-weeks old because our other dog had to be put down,'' said Jessica.

"My sister and I were very upset, and Paula is very sick, so our parents agreed that we should take the puppy.

"We all loved her very much -- she was very sweet. And now we are all so upset. Paula and I miss her so much. Paula used to look forward to seeing the puppy when she was on day release from hospital.

"We just want who ever has taken her to bring her back.'' Zeka was taken from the back yard of the family's home in Field View Lane, Pembroke, more than two weeks ago.

The teenager said the yard was completely enclosed and away from the public sidewalk, so somebody must have known the puppy was there and deliberately gone to take her.

But she said: "Zeka was not old enough to go outside for walks -- she had to stay in the yard all the time -- so hardly anybody knew that we even had her.

"We have no idea who has taken her, but we don't care, we just want her returned.'' Jessica said her parents, Antonio and Cidalia, reported the dog theft to Police, but have had no sightings of her since.

But Mr. Whited said that was not unusual. He said many dogs were taken, but not all were found.

Sisters search for stolen pup He himself has had two Pitbulls stolen. One he found by accident when he was called by a member of the public to tend to a dog that appeared as though it had been injured in a dog fight.

When he arrived, he found the dog was his.

He said: "Dog theft is a big problem especially for people who have Pitbulls.

"Most are stolen for breeding purposes, but some people take them and use them for fighting.

"I would say puppies, in particular, get stolen almost daily. Often, it is young kids who take them, partly because they are not old enough to get one by legal means.

"I believe only a fraction of thefts are reported to Police. I would advise anyone who falls victim of thieves to report it straight away.'' A Police spokesman said dog thefts were reported, but it was not considered a huge problem.

Vet Andrew Madeiros, who is chairman of the SPCA and the Bermuda Veterinary Association, said dog theft occurred, but it was not at epidemic levels.

And he agreed that many thefts were not reported because maybe the dogs did not come from a legal source in the first place.

He added: "The thieves are really not interested in any other kind than Pitbulls -- and puppies tend to be the targets.

"I believe they are opportunistic thefts, where people have left their dogs out unattended. I would advise anyone with a puppy not to let them out of their sight.'' Anyone with information about Zeka, or dog theft in general, should call Police on 295-0011, or the SPCA on 236-7333.