Police received a report yesterday evening of a dog having been stolen from a Woolston rescue shelter.
Thanks to excellent CCTV footage provided by the shelter, a suspect and vehicle of interest were identified.
After further enquiries, and with the assistance of Timaru District Council Animal Officers, Buddy was found safe and well following a search warrant in Timaru today.
A 47-year-old man has been charged with burglary and is due to appear in Timaru District Court on Tuesday 11 July.
Buddy remains in the hands of the Timaru District Council for return to Christchurch at the soonest opportunity - hopefully after a good feed of dog biscuits.
We wish Buddy all the best with his scheduled surgery, and hope that he soon finds his fur-ever home.
