CONCORD, Calif. — On Monday morning, Debby Brown was ecstatic, having been reunited with her tiny dog Lexi 21/2 days after the pet was taken from her Cadillac Escalade parked behind a Concord, Calif., restaurant.

But it was a tough weekend for the Concord woman, who offered — and paid — a $10,000 reward to get back Lexi.

"We got so many calls, about 40, and some of them wanted to meet us," said Brown, who had posted fliers all over the East Bay region. "It was scary sitting in those parking lots, waiting, afraid of getting robbed. ... It's been a very stressful few days."

Her ordeal began Friday night, when Brown and her boyfriend left the Elephant Bar on Willow Pass Road and found a window of their vehicle had been smashed. Lexi, a 2-year-old, 3-pound Chihuahua-Yorkshire terrier mix — a 'chorkie' — was gone.

So Brown posted fliers promising a $10,000 reward, no questions asked, for Lexi's safe return. That brought out the callers — most of whom, of course, didn't have Lexi.

She called a pet detective, who told her that chorkies are in demand and that dognappers target them for breeding purposes. Brown even called a psychic.

She tried to meet with a few of the people who called over the weekend, claiming they had Lexi. None of them showed, she said. Then Brown received photos of her pet via e-mail, convincing her that this was the real deal. And indeed, early Monday morning, Brown and her boyfriend met with people in a parking lot in Alameda, Calif., where the cash and the dog were exchanged.

Lexi's disappearance underscores that people should not leave pets where they can be snatched, said Elena Bicker, executive director of the Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Animal Rescue Foundation. Small breeds such as chorkies may be especially vulnerable, given their size and increased popularity, she said, adding that disreputable breeders look for them.

Adding microchips to animals can often help bring them back safe, she said.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Bicker said. "And this certainly was a pound of cure."

Because Brown had promised the reward with no questions asked, she was loathe to pursue the matter. She was far more jubilant than bitter Monday. "I'm so surprised I got her back."

Paying the money, she said, was worth it.

"She's my life, she's our baby," Brown said. "I used to laugh at people like me and say 'It's just a dog.' But she is a member of the family."