Beloved dog stolen by thieves is reunited with family after being rescued by Gardaí

A BELOVED family pet has been reunited with his owners following a successful Garda investigation.

As Ireland experiences a spate of dog-nappings in what experts are describing as an 'epidemic', dozens of dogs and puppies have been stolen from properties across the country.

Sadly, in many cases these much-loved pets never find their way home, as they are shipped off to the United Kingdom via Belfast or, horrifically, used as bait in dog fights.

Some, however, do have a happy ending-- as one relieved family in Cork recently learned.

On Wednesday last week, Gardaí in Youghal, County Cork received a frantic call from a family whose pet Jack Russell Terrier had been stolen.

It is understood that two men had entered the property and snatched the small black and white dog.

A Garda investigation was launched, and both men were identified, leading Gardaí to trace them to an address over 200km away in Galway.

The Youghal investigators contacted Gardaí in Galway, and the family pet was recovered from a residence before making the 200km trip back down to Cork to be reunited with his relieved owners.

Gardaí have confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, with the thieves potentially facing a trial in the future.

But for now, the pup and his family are happy just to be reunited.

It is the second dog-napping story with a happy ending in recent days-- last week, a litter of six puppies were recovered from Belfast Harbour weeks after they had been stolen from a house in Galway.

A heartwarming video of the moment the fox hound pups were reunited with their mother and owner spread quickly across social media, raising hopes for other families that they could still be reunited with their stolen pests.

You can read more on that story here.

Gardaí have released new guidelines in an attempt to curb the numbers of stolen dogs, with pet owners urged to microchip their animals so they can be traced if they are stolen and recovered.

Pets should wear a collar with the owner's contact details on it, and owners should also ensure their homes and gardens are secure.

Those with 'high value breeds' should consider investing in CCTV and other crime prevention measures, Gardaí added.