The stakes for high-net-worth dogs continue to rise.

First, there was the $1.5 million mastiff. Then the 'troubled' millionaire maltese. And now comes the Toy Terrier.

Thieves in Italy last month snuck into the Genoa hotel room of Russian chemicals tycoon Stanislav Rybchinsky and took the family's Russian Toy Terrier, named Johnny.

Dog-nappings among the rich are not uncommon, of course. But the family's efforts to get Johnny back have been especially aggressive. They've contacted the Italian police and have urged Russian diplomats to apply pressure on the Italian authorities. They also alerted more than 100 vets around Genoa to stay on the look out for Johnny.

Mr. Rybchinsky demanded that the entire hotel staff take a lie detector test, but the hotel refused.

Best of all, they've offered a reward of $15,000 to anyone who recovers him.

'We were very upset,' Mr. Rybchinsky's daughter, Yana, said in an interview with the Telegraph. 'For my mother, he was like a member of the family who was always kind and never barked at anyone.'

The family suspects a hotel employee, she said, since the thieves used a copy of their electronic key to get into their room. The thieves also took two pairs of expensive shoes and a belt, but left the more expensivejewelry, she said. Professional dog thieves typically take a few of the owner's possessions so the dog smells the owner and remains calm, she said.

What is the largest pet reward you've heard of?

Robert Frank

• italian [i´tæliən] a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对...施压力 (初中英语单词)
• reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)
• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)
• telegraph [´teligrɑ:f] n.&v.(打)电报；电告 (初中英语单词)
• expensive [ik´spensiv] a.费钱的，昂贵的 (初中英语单词)
• professional [prə´feʃənəl] a.职业的 n.自由职业 (初中英语单词)
• millionaire [,miljə´neə] n.百万富翁 (高中英语单词)
• jewelry [´dʒu:əlri] n.珠宝(饰物) (高中英语单词)
• uncommon [ʌn´kɔmən] a.非常的，非凡的，罕见的 (英语四级单词)
• aggressive [ə´gresiv] a.进攻的；侵略的 (英语四级单词)
• thieves [θi:vz] thief的复数 (英语四级单词)