An appeal has been launched to reunite a stolen dog with its owner after it was recovered by gardaí in Limerick.
The 18-month-old male springer spaniel was taken to Henry Street Garda Station with another of the same breed shortly after 7.30pm on 13 July after two men were spotted with the dogs on Old Dublin Road.
One of the men later came to the station and produced documentation, which gardaí believed to be fraudulent.
A vet scanned both animals, who were said to be in good condition, for microchips but neither had one.
They were taken to a local animal shelter while gardaí carried out further inquiries.
The older of the pair, Jake, has since been returned to his owner Gerard McMahon in Co Cork after he placed online adverts and distributed posters in an attempt to get him back.
Mr McMahon said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to get Jake back. I had lost hope cos he was gone for so long.
"I tried everything to get him back - I tried social media and put up posters locally. I am extremely grateful to Garda Shane Hayes and Limerick Animal Welfare for looking after Jake and getting him home safely."
Later, speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr McMahon said Jake disappeared on 24 June.
He urged all pet owners to get their pets microchipped, saying that Jake has been microchipped since he came home.
He added that people should not buy dogs from untrusted sources.
Mr McMahon said there have been a lot of dog thefts locally recently and he suspected that Jake had been stolen when he did not come for his dinner when called, because "he isn't a dog that would be roaming" and is normally very keen to be home for his food in the evening.
He said when he went to see Jake in the animal shelter centre, the dog immediately went to him.
He added that he could not bring Jake home from Limerick, but gardaí who brought him home told him that he sat up in the car when he reached the village of Carrignavar "as if he realised he was home."
Gardaí say they are aware there have been a number of dog thefts around the country recently, but the number of incidents reported to them does not reflect a significant increase in dog theft.
Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Ber Leetch said reports of dog thefts can make dog owners feel unsafe and worried about their pets.
Sgt Leetch said owners should get their pets microchipped so they can easily be identified and to also put contact details on their collars.
She also urged pet owners to make sure their homes and gardens are secure.
"If you have a high value breed of animal you may wish to consider CCTV and other crime prevention measures.
"If you are buying a dog, or returning a dog to its suspected owners, make sure the person is bona fide," she added.
Anyone with information about the identity of the second spaniel should contact Henry Street Garda Station on 061-212400.
