Statue stolen from local restaurant

PINECREST, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida restaurant owner is hoping to find its ceramic pet.

The smARTy dog was stolen in the middle of the night from outside Malanga Cafe, along South Dixie Highway and Southwest 124th Street. "Our dog was very unique because it was painted by a very famous Cuban artist," said restaurant owner Tony Vias.

It was painted by a famous Cuban artist, and is one of many smARTy dogs for smart schools. The program was introduced in 2011 to help raise money for technology for the public schools of Pinecrest. Vias said they acquired their smarty dog for a $3,000 adoption fee. "Many of her paintings are very expensive to say the least, but we think the dog was up there."

Vias said the crooks must have came prepared with tools. "It was a job, I'm sure it didn't happen in two minutes," he said. "They literally had to unscrew and pick bolts. "We'll like to see the dog returned. It meant a lot to us and to the artist and to the people that put this program together," Vias revealed.

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