Happy South Okanagan ending for puppy stolen in Burnaby

OSOYOOS – Osoyoos police are touting the positive benefits of social media after returning a stolen pet to its rightful owner.

A 15-week-old beagle/spaniel cross by the name of Cali was reported stolen to Burnaby RCMP on May 10, according to an RCMP media release.

The animal’s owner reported two acquaintances had stolen the puppy and were headed to Quebec in a light blue car with unknown Quebec license plates.

A post describing the theft was also placed on Facebook along with photos of the suspects, which was subsequently seen by an employee of an Osoyoos retail outlet, RCMP say.

Alert to the theft, the employee recalled two people matching the description in the store earlier and they were looking for dog food and a leash.

Also aware the two suspects had been in another store looking for similar items and expressing an interest in finding a free place to camp in the area, the employee contacted the stolen dog's owner who then called the Osoyoos RCMP.

RCMP say two officers were able to locate the two suspects and the stolen pooch in a popular transient camping area off Strawberry Creek Road.

The dog’s owner was contacted and immediately drove from Burnaby to Osoyoos retrieve the dog.

“This is a great news story which highlights the power of social media when used for a positive purpose,” Osoyoos RCMP Cpl. Dave Smith said in the release.

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