Three dogs are missing after a Dogaholics transport van was stolen Thursday afternoon in Lake View on the north side.

Just before 5 p.m., an employee parked the white van in an alley behind the company in the 3600 block of North Southport Avenue with a Great Dane and two shorthaired pointers inside, Chicago police said.

The driver left the keys in the ignition with the doors locked as he ran inside to retrieve another set of keys, according to police and Dogaholics general manager Ben Montgomery.

When the driver returned, someone was pulling away in the van, police said.

Dogaholics offers pet grooming, boarding and daycare services. Montgomery said the driver was getting ready to take the three dogs home.

All three dogs – Keith, Pappy and Stella – are owned by the same owner, Montgomery said. The Great Dane is about a year old and the shorthaired pointer siblings are over five years old, according to Montgomery.

The stolen vehicle is a white Nissan NV 2500 van with license plate 1781495B.

Dogaholics

Mongomery said nothing like this had ever happened in their business.