Emotional return after thieves make off with car - and pet dog!

Nov 10 2011 by John Hutcheson, Hamilton Advertiser

A MOTHERWELL family were left distraught this week after callous thieves stole their car – with their beloved pet dog in the back.

Police received a call at 7.30pm on Sunday from an anxious 53-year-old man whose grey Skoda Octavia car, with a short-haired German pointer dog sitting inside, had been stolen from the Mabel Street area of the town.

Other items in the car when it was stolen included a light blue Nokia 3420 mobile telephone, a bag containing toys and a black leather wallet.

However, the family’s main concern was for the safe return of their pet, named Ben.

And as luck would have it the man and his family were reunited with Ben at 11pm on Monday after a woman, believed to be the mum of one of the alleged car thieves, found the dog in her home and contacted police.

Around the same time on Monday night, Motherwell police tracked down the stolen Skoda car.

And following a chase two men aged 22 and 24-years-old were arrested in connection with the theft.

A spokesman for Motherwell Police told the Advertiser: “On Sunday, November 6 we received a report of a stolen car and two men acting suspiciously nearby.

“An initial search of the local area was carried out by police witnesses on Sunday with a negative result. “However, the two men responsible were arrested within five hours of valuable information being received from a member of the public on Monday, November 7.

“We have many techniques in tracking down stolen property including automatic number plate recognition systems for vehicles.

“This incident is of particular interest as the recovery of stolen property means the police were able to re-unite the rightful owner with their much-loved family dog.”