Have you seen this pup? NJ trucker’s therapy dog stolen during delivery

A Central Jersey family is hoping for the safe return of a therapy dog, taken from the cab of a truck making a delivery in the Bronx last week, according to multiple published reports.

CBS2 was the first to report on the disappearance of Angelo, a 6-pound, 14-month-old white Maltese. The dog's owner, Fito Irribarra of Hillsborough, is an independent trucker who has regularly taken Angelo on his trips ever since Irribarra's sister brought the dog to the United States from Chile last summer, NJ Advance Media reported.

The CBS New York report stated Irribarra was delivering to a business on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx last Thursday, when he said someone entered his truck and stole both his GPS and his beloved pet. Irribarra is a diabetic who said Angelo, in his role as "therapy dog," has trained himself to lick Irribarra's arm when he senses the 58-year-old's blood sugar rising, the report said.

Irribarra told CBS New York he believes professional dog thieves may be behind Angelo's disappearance, and that he even received an anonymous call demanding $200 for the dog.

NBC 4 New York reported that Angelo had an identification tag with his owner's phone number, and was last seen wearing a red, white and blue harness.

Patrick Lavery produces "New Jersey's First News" and is New Jersey 101.5's morning drive breaking news reporter. Follow him on Twitter @plavery1015 or email patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com.

Dan Alexander contributed to this report.