A "hero driver" has been praised after his quick thinking led to the return of two dogs stolen along with a ute in Central Otago.
Jake Nolan was out of his vehicle for only a few minutes to visit a friend in the town of Ōmakau on Saturday afternoon when he saw a man jump in and drive off.
The white Holden Colorado and his dogs – 9-year-old Huntaway-cross Jock and 5-year-old blue heeler Nala – were gone.
"It's not a very good way to start the year, it's pretty devastating. I've had them since they were eight weeks old," Nolan told 1News at the weekend.
"I'm not worried about the truck. I just want my dogs back."
Sergeant Regan Price said on Sunday that police believed the vehicle was connected to an earlier burglary the same day in Alexandra.
On Monday morning, a motorist was travelling to Fairlie along State Highway 75 when he noticed a man on a bicycle, accompanied by two dogs, in the middle of the road.
The motorist stopped and offered them a ride. However, during the journey, he became concerned the dogs were the ones reported missing with a ute from outside an address in Ōmakau on Saturday, Southern District Police said.
After arriving in Fairlie, the driver stopped outside a vet clinic and called police.
"The male got out, but our hero driver kept the dogs – Jock and Nala," Sergeant Cath Hone said today.
The man was subsequently found and arrested.
Hone said police wanted to "thank the motorist for his actions and for keeping the dogs safe".
Police also praised Aorangi Vets in Fairlie for "promptly jumping into action when they got to call from police to assist with the dogs – allowing officers to focus on locating the male".
A 35-year-old man has been remanded in custody to reappear in the Timaru District Court on January 13 on driving, burglary charges, and theft of stock charges.
'So incredibly grateful'
In a social media post on Monday, Nolan's partner said the couple were "beyond relieved" after the dogs were found.
She said the pets were taken to a vet and were "in good shape considering what they’ve been through".
"We couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome and are so beyond relieved," she said.
"We can’t thank people enough today. From the three people who dropped what they were doing to go out relentlessly searching, down to every single person who called the police to report sightings. We are so incredibly grateful."
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