Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead prepares before an NFL game against the New England Patriots. (AP)
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead was reunited with his pit bull, Blitz, early Tuesday, a day after Whitehead said burglars took the dog and demanded a $10,000 ransom.
"Look who made it home safely!!!" Whitehead posted on Snapchat with a short video of his dog. "THANKS EVERYONE.”
The reunion came nearly 24 hours after Whitehead first broke the news on Instagram that his dog had been stolen.
Whitehead said a friend was taking care of Blitz last Sunday while Whitehead was out of town, when someone broke into his house to steal the pitbull.
"Whomever stole Blitz has contacted my phone numerous times, demanding ransom money," Whitehead wrote.
Whitehead told FOX 4 Dallas he was convinced this happened to him because he plays for the Dallas Cowboys and whoever stole the dog was trying to mess with his head.
“It's sickening,” he told FOX 4 before Blitz had been recovered. “It's killing me just because I wasn't there to protect him. It's just hard.”
Whitehead said he received phone calls demanding he "cut a check" if he wanted to get Blitz back alive, but he refused to pay $10,000 without first getting proof the pitbull was okay. It was not clear Tuesday if he had made any payment.
The Cowboys star has had the 16-week-old puppy for less than two months, but said he's spent a lot of his offseason with him. He has also created an Instagram account for the pup, including photos of the dog in superhero costumes and a Cowboys shirt.
The 25-year-old Whitehead tried to get detectives on the case, but they were unable to trace the dognapper's phone. Whitehead said he suspects the heist was "an inside job" and plans to talk to some people close to him.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.