It's a heartbreaking video that exposes a very real fear many pet owners have here in Minnesota: having their pets stolen... from their own yard.

This video from WCCO-TV shows how Ellie, a Dachshund and Chihuahua mix dog, was taken-- right from her own backyard last week, during broad daylight, in Minneapolis.

Ellie's owner thought she'd escaped from her fenced-in backyard and run away. But it's when he checked his surveillance video that he saw what happened: Two people entered his yard, tried to coax Ellie away and when that didn't work, simply picked her up and carried her away.

It all happened as Ellie's owner was running some errands. As you might expect, he's beside himself. Which we all would be, if our pets were taken. While his neighbors have all volunteered to help hand out flyers, as of right now, Ellie's still missing.

How horrible! Our backyard is also fenced in, and I can't imagine how it'd feel to know that someone stole your pet-- literally out from under your nose. While we never used to let our dog, Chance, stay outside in the yard while we were gone (mainly because we thought he might bark a little too much for our neighbors), I can imagine some people do, thinking that it's safe here in Minnesota.

But, as this video points out, very few places are safe anymore-- including your own backyard. ;(

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