Have you seen it? Van stolen from service dog charity

A van owned by COPE Service dogs in Barrie that was reported stolen. (COPE Service Dogs)

Barrie Police are investigating the theft of a van, belonging to COPE Service Dogs that was reported stolen on Thursday.

Police tell CTV News the van was stolen from a Bradford Street parking lot by two male suspects around 1 a.m.

COPE, known otherwise as Canine Opportunity, People Empowerment is a Barrie-based non profit organization.

According to the non-profit’s website, it is a charitable organization that breeds, trains and places service dogs with individuals with physical disabilities.

A post on social media by the organization describes the van as having markings on both sides of five golden retrievers wearing service dog vests with the words “unleashing potential” underneath.

COPE says the vehicle is a GMC Savanna with the licence plate AZ 56871 and it has AC unit is mounted on the roof of the van.

The organization tells CTV News they are relying on members of the public to spot the vehicle and report it to police, but they are asking residents not to approach nor confront anyone driving the van.

“We are a charity and rely solely on donations, so we are hoping this van comes back in decent condition and not needing excessive repairs,” says, Julia Da Silva, with COPE.

This is not the first incident of vans being stolen from COPE as police confirm that another van was stolen from the organization on Monday and later recovered in Orangeville.

“It has been a very troubling week; our other van goes in for an evaluation of damages next week,” says Da Silva.