A man has praised Gardaí in Limerick, whose intervention saw him reunited with his missing dog.
However an appeal is ongoing for help in trying to reunite a second suspected stolen dog with its owner.
The discovery was made shortly after 7.30pm on July 13th, as officers were following up on reports of suspicious activity in the car park on the Old Dublin Road.
They spoke to two men who had two male springer spaniel dogs in their possession.
When officers asked about their ownership of the dogs, the two men were unable to provide information that Gardaí were happy with.
They also informed Gardaí that the dogs were microchipped.
Officers said both dogs were very nervous and cowering in their cage, so a decision was made to seize them for their welfare pending the verification of ownership.
Both were brought to Henry Street, where they were housed in kennels at the back of the station.
A local vet came and scanned the dogs for microchips, which returned negative for both.
The vet believed the two springer spaniels were males, roughly three-years-old and 18 months respectively and in good condition.
An appeal is ongoing to find this dog's owner, who is is currently in a local animal shelter. Picture by: An Garda SíochánaOne of the men later produced documentation which Gardaí believed was fraudulent.
The two dogs were then brought to a local animal shelter.
One of the dogs, the older of the two, has since been reunited with his owner.
The dog is believed to have been stolen on June 24th in Co Cork.
The owner had placed adverts online and posters around their area, in an attempt to get the dog back.
Gardaí brought 'Jake' out to the owners home and were satisfied with the owners description of the dog - as well as the dog's excitement, awareness and the location of his kennel.
Jake's owner, Gerard said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to get Jake back.
"I had lost hope cause 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."
Gardaí are still attempting to reunite the second dog with his owner.
They are appealing to anyone with information to contact Henry Street Garda station on 061-212-400.
An Garda Síochána said they are aware there has been a number of dog thefts throughout the country recently.
However, they said the number of incidents reported does not reflect a significant increase in dog theft.
People are being urged to report any such incidents to to their local Garda station as soon as possible.
Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Ber Leetch said: "I would firstly like to thank the member of the public who phoned us when they noticed something suspicious. Assistance like this is invaluable.
"As we are hearing a lot about dog theft, it can make dog owners feel unsafe and worried about their beloved pets - so we would advise you take extra precautions for their safety.
"For your dog’s security, I would recommend they are microchipped so that they can be easily identified if found and returned to the owner.
"Also place contact details on their collar in the event that they escape.
"Ensure that your home and garden are secure to prevent theft and deter potential culprits."
She added: "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".
Gardaí have said they are following a definite line of enquiry, and expect to progress the investigation in the very near future.
