Three burglars broke into a home early Christmas morning, but instead of taking cash or jewelry, they stole the homeowners' three-week-old puppies, Ohio police said.

The suspects entered the Chippewa Township home through a sliding door that was left unlocked at around 6 a.m. Thursday, Wayne County sheriffs told the Associated Press.

The men pistol-whipped an unnamed 32-year-old man, held an unnamed 21-year-old woman at gunpoint and demanded the couple's money. But upon learning there was no money, the men took their four three-week-old puppies and fled the scene, police told the AP.

Since the puppies were not yet weaned, their chances of survival are low, Sheriff's Captain Doug Hunter told the AP. 

The mother of the Cane Corso puppies was left behind.

Cane Corsos are an Italian breed with a name deriving from the Latin word Cohors, which means guardian or protector, according to the American Kennel Club.