Tesla introduced “Dog Mode” to give peace of mind to pet owners who leave their precious cargo in their vehicle while handling short trips and errands. However, the pet-focused mode did nothing to deter a dastardly dog-napper from making off with Lemon, an 11-year-old Yorkie plucked from the broken window of a Tesla Model Y.

Lemon’s owner is pleading with the public for the safe return of the dog after a criminal stole the dog from a Tesla in ‘Dog Mode’

Yue Zuo left her 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier in her Tesla Model Y for just a moment. She says she “briefly stepped away.” As many dog owners do, she took a couple of pet-minded precautions to keep Lemon safe and comfortable. Unlike an analog approach involving cracked window openings and an open Big Gulp full of life-saving water, the Tesla owner activated “Dog Mode.”

However, the reassuring message on the Tesla’s center command-and-control screen wasn’t enough to turn a dog-napper away. According to KTLA, Zuo returned to her stationary EV to find a passenger side window smashed and shards of safety glass on the pavement. Tragically, her most treasured cargo, Lemon, was nowhere to be found.

From the words of Zuo’s friend, this wasn’t a Tesla-targeting maneuver. Instead, the thief burgled several vehicles nearby before turning their attention to the gray Tesla. To add to Zuo’s anguish, the CCTV footage from a nearby business was less than case-breaking. Police told her that the plates on the suspect’s car were fake, making tracking and arrest that much trickier. Lemon is still missing as of this writing. Although Zuo is hopeful for the dog’s return. She is offering a $2,000 reward “for [his] safe return, no questions asked.”  

‘Dog’ does a lot, but it can’t stop a thief from taking your furry little copilot

Like many of the modes available on a Tesla EV, Dog Mode plays with vehicle settings to achieve a goal, namely keeping an animal occupant safe and comfortable from outside conditions. According to Tesla, “Dog is designed to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature for your pet while you actively and frequently monitor this temperature using the mobile app.”

What it doesn’t do, however, is stop dog-nappers or overzealous passersby from breaking a window and freeing your little buddy. Still, Tesla maintains that the setting might quell the concerns of would-be window smashers. “When in Dog, the touchscreen displays the current cabin temperature to inform people passing by that your pet is safe,” the official site says.