Cruella de Vil becomes very coarse, which does not sell as well in the fur fashion industry as the fine, soft fur of puppies. "The One Hundred and One Dalmatians" describes Cruella as the last of her prosperous and notorious family, with a personal net worth of . She is married to a furrier, whose first name is never mentioned, even by Cruella, and it appears she married him solely due to his occupation rather than because she loved him. When Mrs Dearly asks Cruella what her married name is, Cruella retorts that - in contrast to the usual patriarchal custom - she
Cruella de Vil later, two thieves named Jasper and Horace successfully steal the puppies when the Radcliffes are out. While Cruella is questioned about the theft, the police are unable to find anything against her, and Anita does not want to charge her, despite Roger's doubts. However, as the days go by, the police still suspect her, so she goes into hiding at her old mansion, Hell Hall at Suffolk, where Jasper and Horace and the puppies reside, proving that she was the mastermind behind the theft. She demands that the henchmen kill and skin the puppies for her that very night before