TORONTO -- A four-year-old dog, who remains missing, was forcefully stolen from a female while she was walking in Whitby last week, police in Durham Region said.

The incident, which police are calling a street-level robbery, took place at around 11 p.m. on Dec. 30 in the area of Ash and Mary streets.

At the time, the female victim was walking her two dogs and was approached by two suspects, investigators said in a news release issued on Monday afternoon.

Police said the suspects took one of the two dogs before fleeing the area westbound in a waiting white SUV.

A female bystander witnessed the incident, according to police, and attempted to assist but was sprayed in the face with an unknown substance.

Both female victims sustained minor physical injuries in the robbery, police said.

The stolen dog has been described by officers as a brown and white mixed bulldog named Nina. A photograph of Nina has been released by police as she has not yet been located.

One arrest has been made in the investigation thus far, but police are continuing to search for a second suspect.

Pickering resident Ali Habeib, 28, has been charged with robbery, assault with a weapon and administer a noxious thing.

Police have described the second suspect as a Black man who is tall and has a heavy build. Officers said he has orange/blonde hair and goes by the name Deebo.

Anyone with further information regarding this incident or Nina’s whereabouts is asked to contact police at 1-888-579-1520, ext. 1835 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).