OAKLAND -- A crime wave has swept through Oakland's Eastmont District and the surrounding area in the past several weeks, and some residents' prized possessions have been stolen, including their pets.

The head of the neighborhood watch says there have been about sixteen burglaries and two dogs reported stolen from homes in the past two months.

Ben Yonas officially received the keys to their new home there last Wednesday. That same night, they say someone broke in and stole thousands of dollars worth of tools he and his wife were using to renovate the house.

"Not the way it's supposed to be, move into a new neighborhood and get robbed the first day," said Yonas.

The couple says their original plan was to remove a chain link fence around their front yard for aesthetic reasons. After being burglarized, they've decided to not only leave it up, but to reinforce it with new locks. They've also installed an elaborate alarm system.

Ben Pellow said his 3-month-old Boxer puppy was stolen, along with many other possessions.

"It just seems the frequency of these robberies is absolutely horrendousm," he said.

Several homeowners who've been in the area for three decades say the neighborhood has undergone a lot of changes in recent years.

Even residents who haven't been recently burglarized say they're taking extra precautions.

"All the doors are locked when I'm home and when I'm not home," said neighborhood resident Kay Greisen "Even when I go into the garage... I lock the house."

So far, no one's been arrested. Residents are asking anyone who sees anything suspicious to call police right away.