A Highland dog owner captured the emotional moment he was reunited with his beloved pooch less than 48 hours after he was stolen.
Kev Stewart from Thurso was driving north with his partner on the A9 Inverness to Thurso road when they stopped to take a break.
The pair, accompanied by their Chihuahua Louis, pulled into the truck stop by the Kessock Bridge to break up the 107-mile journey north.
Within moments of parking, the couple discovered their three-year-old dog was missing as a white van sat nearby.
Dog stolen near Inverness
Speaking to The Press and Journal, Mr Stewart admits he perceived them to be campers.
He said: “We stopped there for a cigarette and to go to the toilet and there was a white van there. We just thought they were campers and didn’t think anything of it.
“I remember hearing the van door shutting.
“We frantically searched for another two or three hours but the van took off.”
The couple approached the van driver, asking him a series of questions.
However, the dog owner claims the driver “knew all the right things to say.”
Mr Stewart reported the matter to the police, providing them with the van’s registration number.
He claims a crew turned up a short time later to speak to the occupants of the van before leaving the scene.
Dog owners forced to abandon search to return home to Thurso
After the van took off, the couple searched for several hours, calling out Louis name before leaving the area without him.
He added: “It was just not like Louis to go wandering off.
“I had to drive back up the road from Kessock to Thurso without him, just thinking we’d never see him again or his wee antics.”
After posting about his ordeal on social media, the proud dog owner received a text message confirming Louis had been found wandering in the Elgin area.
Mr Stewart believed the van occupants must have drugged their dog in a bid to “keep him quiet.”
Louis was taken into Brumley Brae Kennels and Cattery, before being reunited with Mr Stewart.
He described it as a “lovely feeling” and says Louis is settling in well back at home.
The 47-year-old said: “When I bent down, he was looking at me as if he was scared.
“He just kept looking at me because I didn’t pick him up straight away. All my emotions were everywhere. It was a lovely feeling.
“He’s a special dog to us.
Owners warned to be vigilant after dog stolen near Inverness
Mr Stewart has vowed to never stop in the area again.
He’s urging fellow owners to be on their guard and keep a watchful eye on their beloved pets.
“Keep them on a lead and do not let them out of your sight,” he said.
“It doesn’t have to look suspicious. This can happen to anybody. It takes just a matter of seconds, look what happened to us.
“Keep eyes on them at all times and don’t take things for granted like we did.
“There are evil people out there who don’t care and just want your dog to make money or pass it down the chain. Make sure they are microchipped.”
The Press and Journal contacted police for comment.
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