Shocking: Max, The 14-Year-Old Dog Stolen At Gunpoint In D.C., Is Back Home

Zaleena Ahmed faced the agonizing reality of spending a third night without her cherished companion, Max, a French bulldog she had shared 14 years of her life.

As she navigated through the depths of uncertainty, an unsettling image from a 2022 news report resurfaced in her searches—a haunting scene of masked bandits brandishing a gun while snatching a French bulldog during a night stroll in D.C.

The thought sent shivers down her spine, intensifying the anxiety that had consumed her in the quest to find Max. Enduring a sleepless night, Zaleena sifted through a flood of tips, emails, and support pouring into her inbox.

At 10 a.m., the awaited call came, but the detective's deadpan tone left her apprehensive.

We have Max,” the detective said, in dragnet deadpan. His tone didn’t sound like good news.

Earlier in the day, a D.C. resident named David Graham had been handing out fliers to tenants at the building where he works across from Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens when he spotted something white across the street in the grass. It was a dog, plodding along in a slow, senior gait.

“When [the dog] turned around and I saw the spot under his eye, I knew it was that dog in the news,” Graham said.

Zaleena Ahmed found herself in a nightmare scenario in what she thought was a dog-friendly environment in D.C.

While out on a walk with her beloved 14-year-old French bulldog, Max, she was attacked by a masked assailant who showed a gun. They scuffled, and he hit her in the head with the gun at least twice, she said. When a dark-colored van pulled up, Ahmed said, she asked the driver for help.

“I yelled, ‘Rape!’ because I thought people would pay attention to that,” she said. “Then I told the driver that I was being robbed.” But the driver was in on it.

The men stuffed Max inside the van, Ahmed said. She remembers trying to grab a door handle, but the vehicle didn’t have one. She thrust out her arm to grab Max, but the van sped off.

Most likely, the robbers who took Max from Ahmed realized that his sentimental value was more than his market value and set him free. He was found about six miles from home.

Max and Zaleena Ahmed had faced separation before, a heartbreaking incident that occurred five years ago during a family road trip from New York to Florida for her uncle's funeral.

In a tragic turn of events, their car flipped over during a downpour, resulting in Zaleena's mother's death. Knocked unconscious, Zaleena was awakened by Max's barking. When she reached the hospital, she received the devastating news of her mother's passing and Max's disappearance.

Miraculously, social media efforts led to Max being spotted along Interstate 95 the next day, and he was successfully reunited with Zaleena through his microchip.

This time, the wandering Westie was a little slower as he turned to his rescuer and headed his way.

“The way he came to me, I knew it was him,” said Graham, who is also from Queens, like Ahmed. He recognized Max from news reports, remembering that Ahmed had described the spot under one eye where he’d recently had surgery.

The reunion between Zaleena Ahmed and her beloved Max was not a cinematic moment of Max running towards her; instead, it was a heartwarming scene of Zaleena rushing to Max at the 6th District police station, showering him with kisses.

To make Max comfortable, she brought his essentials, including water and food bowls, a blanket, a T-shirt for warmth, and a well-deserved ice cream treat. Despite Max's exhaustion, he appeared uninjured.

The detective informed Zaleena that the case was ongoing, with surveillance footage and leads being pursued. As an optimist, Zaleena appreciates the outpouring of support and the kindness shown by David Graham.

Looking forward, she expresses a desire to pay it forward and draws attention to the case of Rashawn Williams, a nonverbal man with autism, who has been missing since Friday near the location of her own attack, emphasizing the importance of collective help in such situations.

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