A dog that was stolen from a Woolston shelter yesterday afternoon has been found safe by police.
The alleged theft of Buddy, who is reported to have severe arthritis and tumours, prompted pleas for his safe return.
After the shelter provided CCTV footage to police, a suspect and vehicle of interest were identified. The search took officers all the way to Timaru.
Buddy was found by the police and Timaru District Council animal officers earlier today after a search warrant was carried out on a property.
A 47-year-old man has been arrested and will appear in the Timaru District Court on Tuesday, charged with burglary.
The dog remains with the Timaru District Council and will "return to Christchurch at the soonest opportunity".
"Hopefully, after a good feed of dog biscuits," a police spokesperson said.
"We wish Buddy all the best with his scheduled surgery and hope that he soon finds his fur-ever home."
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