Dog stolen from front lawn in Barrie's west end reunited with owner

A two-year-old, 78lb labradoodle named Jax was allegedly stolen from its front yard in Barrie, Ont., on Wed., Aug. 14, 2024. (Source: Barrie Police Services)

A dog that police said had been stolen from a front yard late Wednesday morning in a west-end neighbourhood has been reunited with its owner.

According to police, the two-year-old, 78-pound labradoodle named Jax was taken around 11:46 a.m. from a Wellington Street West home.

Police say the dog was loose at the front of the property, and the owner was gardening when a man and a woman in a red Honda CRV took him.

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By Wednesday afternoon, police said the dog had been returned, and "there is no further information available at this time."

It's unclear if the couple and the dog's owner were known to each other or if any charges will be laid.

Police urge pet owners to "never leave your dog unattended or out of your sight of view."