Mom Works Extra Shifts, Buys Special Dog for Her Ailing Son — But Incident Caught on Video Has Left Them 'Absolutely Devastated\

After being accidentally scalded with hot water at the age of 2 and contracting septicaemia, a potentially fatal blood infection, Ellis Barrett spent the next four years enduring numerous surgeries.

Ellis Barrett (Image source: Facebook)

Recently his mother Lucy Swift figured her boy deserved a special present to pick up his spirits.

She didn't need to mull over what the gift should be. Barrett wanted a dog -- but not just any pooch.

"Ellis had been asking for a pug for months, but when I saw how expensive they were I couldn’t believe it," she told the Daily Mail.

How expensive exactly? According to Swift, between $1,300 and $2,000 per pug.

So the 29-year-old mom logged extra shifts at her job caring for the elderly and eventually saved enough money.

And Peaches was presented to Barrett following his latest major surgery in February — and quickly became part of the family from West Yorkshire, England...and big pick-me-up for Barrett.

Image source: Facebook

Image source: Facebook

But on Sunday, they were dealt an unkind blow.

Peaches, now seven months old, was stolen in broad daylight from Barrett's yard by two men — and the theft was caught on surveillance video.

“We are all absolutely devastated and want her back,” Swift told the Spenborough Guardian. “After they let Peaches out, she ran around a car and that is when they got her. It broke my heart watching it.”

She also set up a Facebook page in the hopes that getting the word out might bring Peaches back home.

Image source: Facebook

“Ellis thinks the police know where she is but he is really worried about her," Swift added to the Guardian. "I could not bear telling him she might not come home.”

Here's a look at the thieves taking the dog:

(H/T: Hypervocal)