Actor John Schneider planned a Christmas puppy surprise for his kids, but his holiday pups were stolen?!

Yup, it's true. The "Dukes of Hazzard" star had his SUV jacked -- with the doggies inside! When the car was found, the pups were missing -- prompting the actor to make a public plea for the safe return of the pooches.

"I'm not yelling at anybody who stole the car. I'm not yelling at anybody who stole the dogs -- who got the dogs by virtue of having stolen the car," John tells AP Television. "I'm just saying, 'If you have the puppies, please give them back. They belong to my kids, to my wife. They brought my wife and my oldest daughter closer together than they've been in years. We'd like them back."