Call off the search: Fatty the dog has been found

Fatty, the Great Pyrenees dog that was inside a car stolen in Red Deer, has been reunited with its relieved owner.

The big dog was found wandering around Red Deer's Glendale neighbourhood late Wednesday afternoon. Owner Christine Smyth picked Fatty up from a local animal shelter after 5 p.m.

"When I picked him up and he saw me, he was so happy," Smyth said Thursday, adding Fatty got a hero's welcome at home from her son R.J. and his friends.

Fatty's disappearance had sparked a dog hunt. Red Deer RCMP were on the case. Smyth and her son posted flyers on Facebook.

It all started earlierWednesday when Smyth and Fatty were headed to a dog park in Smyth'sdark grey 2013 Toyota Matrix.

Smyth stopped at a store for less than a minute. She left the car open and running.

When she returned, her car was gone.

• Police ask: Have you seen Fatty the dog?

Smyth panicked. She dialled 911. But then, she realized Fatty was gone, too.

"That's when I started to cry," she told CBC News. "I wasn't sure if they wanted my dog or my car."

Smyth said Fatty is well-mannered, friendly and loves attention.The fluffy white three-year-old is quite popular with her son's friends. When they found out Fatty was missing, they went to search for him.

"[My son] had all of Lindsay Thurber High School looking for him because all of his friends love our dog, too," Smyth said.

She's not clear on how Fatty escaped, though she said she guesses he and the person who stole the car didn't get along.

"He's not too keen on strangers, especially ones that are up to no good," she said.

"He's pretty intuitive.

"If he thinks that somebody is up to no good, or has bad intentions, he can pick up on that pretty quick."

Smyth said Fatty is now back to normal.

"He's great," she said. "He's happy to be home. He had quite the ordeal yesterday."

Smythhasn't found her car. She said she will never again leave a car unattended and unlocked.

But at the end of the day, she's just happy to have Fatty back.

"Insurance can take care of the car or whatever, but you can't replace Fatty."