Hermiston police and local veterinarians are on the lookout for a Chinese crested Chihuahua named Dizzy who was stolen from Dyers Pet Store on Tuesday.

Dannie Davis, a volunteer, said she was in the back of the downtown Hermiston shop when a man walked in, unlocked Dizzys cage and walked out with him.

The dog is a hairless breed mix that requires special food.

Davis said the store was trying to find a home for the nearly seven-week-old puppy, but not this way.

He hadnt even been here an hour, Davis said, before the puppy was taken on Tuesday.

She described the culprit as a man in his 20s, slender and about 6-foot-3. Hermiston police reported the man left in a maroon sport utility vehicle. Police were investigating a possible suspect earlier this week in the first-degree theft but ruled out the person out as being involved in the crime.

The community has joined forces to find the missing puppy. Dyer said local veterinarians and some local businesses have volunteered to accept the puppy if someone is willing to turn it in.

Dels Farm Supply and Humane Society of Eastern Oregon Pet Rescue have both said they will accept the puppy if someone is willing to drop him off.

If they want to return the puppy we can drop him off here totally anonymous and we will get the dog back to his owner. Brittiany Shaver, team leader at Dels.

Returning the puppy to the store wont be possible, however, as Dyers Pet Store will close its doors Saturday for good after about seven years in business.

Alice Dyer has owned and operated the Hurlburt Avenue store since it opened in 2006.

Dyer, who also works as a respiratory therapist at Good Shepherd Medical Center and serves as a foster parent, said she is closing the store due to a lack of time.

She needs to be home with her family, said Davis, a store volunteer and former store manager.

The closing of the store is more than bittersweet for some who have worked there.

Its just about traumatizing, Davis said. Im going to miss the store.

The store opened on October 25, 2006 with a small selection of pets.

We had fish and mice and birds, Dyer said. That was about all we started with.

Dyer said throughout the years, the store has sold various animals ranging from baby goats to pot-bellied pigs to Chinchillas. They have even filled orders for ferrets.