He is now asking the public for help in getting his dogs back.

"Somebody came on to my property Saturday night, somewhere between Saturday and Sunday, and took four of my english bulldogs,"said Villa.

Villa breeds English bulldogs and has been doing so for 19 years. Each dog easily valued at $1,000 dollars or more, he said.

"It bothers me that people would do that.They would take something that you value, because I do value my dogs. I spend a lot of time and effort on them," said Villa.

He described the bulldogs to KFOX14.

"They took the male, Segar, 2 1/2 years old, an 8-month-puppy by the name of Baby, a 2-year-old by the name of Dakota and the 3-year-old, Whitey," said Villa.

For fear of losing the dogs that were left, Villa has moved the five remaining bulldogs to another location.

Villa could be helped by a revised city ordinance that bans the roadside sale or trade of pets. A practice that used to involve a lot of stolen dogs.

KFOX14 asked Larry Brunt, an officer with El Paso Animal Services, if animal theft was common in the El Paso area.

"Are people stealing animals? Yes! We get reports of stolen animals every day," he said.

Micro-chipping may also help in finding Villa's bulldogs.

Brunt said,"If we go and we find out that the animal that has been chipped does not belong to that person that is there, we are going to take action."

Because of the value of Villa's dogs, the person or persons who stole them could face felony charges.

KFOX14 asked Brunt: "What if I didn't steal it, my friend gave it to me?"

Brunt said,"Somebody has to explain how the animal or the property got into the hands of a person that doesn't own it. It's theft, plain theft, if they can't explain."

Villa says he will not pursue legal action as long as the dogs are returned to him unharmed.

If you recognize any of the dogs, you're asked to call Animal Services at 915-842-1000.