Puppy found in street after being snatched from Portsmouth home

Lewis Hooper, from Copnor, appealed online to help bring the offender to justice after the break-in on Monday.

His house in Stubbington Avenue was targeted between 6am and 6pm, with the burglar breaking through a back door and stealing Boyzie, a 10-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier.

Nothing else was taken from the house.

But earlier today police discovered the young puppy in a street in Copnor and returned him to his delighted owner.

Lewis, 20, said: ‘I got home from work and saw the door has been broken into. I thought Boyzie might have been upstairs and was shouting his name for ages.

‘Nothing was taken apart from my dog, I had my X-Box downstairs and other valuables.

‘The police said they had never had a case like this before.’

Lewis, who works as a plasterer, had owned the puppy since it was a few weeks old after buying it with a previous partner.

On Monday he put out an appeal on his Facebook page, and more than 1,200 people shared the post.

After police called him with the good news, Lewis was told to collect Boyzie from Pets at Home in Moneyfield Avenue.

Speaking to The News earlier today, Lewis said: ‘I reckon that because so many people shared the appeal online, whoever stole him got a bit scared and got rid of him.

‘He’s got a cut on the back of his leg but he’s okay apart from that.

‘I’m really relieved, and want to thank everyone who shared my post online.’