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Golden retriever 'dog-napped' in North Van rescued and returned

A six-year-old pooch named Amber was pinched from outside Shoppers Drug Mart, say police. She was found and returned to her owner a few hours later
amber-with-police
Amber, a six-year-old golden retriever, was rescued by police on Monday after being taken from outside a store in North Vancouver.

A six-year-old golden retriever police said was ‘dog-napped’ by a stranger Monday in North Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­has been rescued and safely returned to her owner.

The purloined pooch, named Amber, went missing at about 1:30 p.m. from in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart at the intersection of Londsale Avenue and East 13th Street, while the owner briefly went inside on a errand, said Const. Mansoor Sahak of the North Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­RCMP.

Sahak said the distraught North Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­owner called the police after being unable to find her dog when she came out of the store.

Surveillance camera video from a nearby construction site on 13th Street captured the pooch being walked away from the area on a leash by a man.

Sahak said the owner doesn’t know the man who took her pet, calling the situation very unusual.

Police released an image from the security video Monday afternoon showing a man with dark hair wearing a light blue jacket or hoodie and bright red pants carrying what looks like a blanket and pulling a suitcase or carrying case while walking the dog beside him on a leash. 

Police asked the public to contact them with information, and news of the dog's disappearance quickly spread on social media.

Within minutes of the request, North Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­RCMP received a flood of calls of possible sightings of Amber and the suspect on a Seabus heading toward Vancouver. Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­Transit Police were advised of the sighting and just before 4:30 p.m., Transit officers located the suspect and Amber at the Waterfront Skytrain station.

The suspect was safely taken into custody and Amber was returned to her owner a short time later.

The suspect, a Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­man in his 40s, is facing possible charges of theft under $5,000. He has been released on conditions, said Sahak.

Sahak said police don’t know what the man’s motive was for taking the dog, adding the incident is still under investigation.