A DEVASTATED dog owner has described the traumatic moment masked thugs broke into her home and assaulted her before snatching her puppies.

Sally Knight-Buxton, of Basildon, was sitting in her living room watching television at about 10.40pm on Friday night, along with her 62-year-old mum.

Her children had not long gone to sleep and, having just fed her three English Bulldog puppies, Sally was also about to put the adorable bundles of joy to bed.

All of a sudden, Sally says a group of hooded figures wearing masks smashed through the back door and started demanding she hand over the puppies.

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The thugs are then said to have unleashed a brutal attack on Sally and her mum before escaping the scene with all three of the bulldogs, which sell for thousands.

Speaking about the horrific ordeal, shaken Sally said: “We jumped up and screamed in horror and then they squirted me and my mum in the face with some sort of ammonia.

“I couldn’t see nothing at all, and my eyes started to water and pour with tears, and then they threw my mum to the floor and punched me in the face.

“As they grabbed the puppies, my children came running down the stairs screaming and crying, as these total scumbags fled taking our beautiful babies with them.”

Heartbroken Sally, who says her family is now living in fear, is appealing to the public to help her find her puppies and bring those responsible to justice.

“Please, please, help us get our babies back and get these scumbags caught because they are the lowest of the low and don’t deserve to be walking the streets,” she added.

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“They have terrorised me and my family and we are now scared to stay at our own home, my children are petrified and keep asking if they are going to come back.

“I am so scared and still shaking, so please help us.”

Essex Police has since released details of the suspects and the vehicles which may have been used as getaway vehicles.

A spokesman for the force said: "One of the suspects has been described to us as being of Asian on Mediterranean descent and wearing tracksuit trousers.

"One of the other men is described as being around 6ft tall, in his 30s or 40s, large build, wearing a navy top with the hood up, and had dark hair.

"It is believed at least one of the men was wearing a balaclava or beanie-style hat.

"We are particularly looking for anyone who saw a dark coloured estate car, a dark coloured hatchback, or a white transit-type van in the area at the time or the days before.

"Our enquiries are ongoing."

Anyone with information, any CCTV, dash cam, or Ring doorbell footage, is asked to call 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/173371/20.