A man has used Facebook in an attempt to get back his best friend after discovering CCTV footage of his dog being stolen from his Warnboro home last week.
Nick Edmunds came home from work about 5.30pm on August 25 and opened the back door of his home to let his German Shepherd in from the backyard but, when his dog Beau didn't come in, he became concerned.
"I just opened the door to let him inside and he usually comes straight in, but this time he didn't come," he said.
"I went outside to have a look and quite quickly realised the gate was open and he was gone.
"From there I went out looking for him, thinking he'd just managed to push the gate open, and yeah he was nowhere to be seen."
Mr Edmunds said he didn't think Beau had been stolen, just lost, but after checking his neighbour's CCTV recordings on Sunday, he realised Beau had been stolen.
"I knew his camera can see out the front of my place, so I asked if I could take a quick look at it late Sunday afternoon," he said.
"When I saw the footage it was pretty obvious what's happened, this bloke has come in through the side gate, put a lead on Beau and taken off with him.
"I've got no doubt whatsoever they targeted Beau. He's a great dog, I've had him for four-and-a-half years, and I just want him back."
He said police had told him they couldn't do much with the footage as it doesn't show the dog thief's face, and Mr Edmunds subsequently decided to take to Facebook in an appeal to get Beau back.
The video of the theft has been viewed 296,085 times and shared among 8000 people in the 17 hours since Mr Edmunds posted it on his Facebook, and he has urged the thief to simply give Beau back.
"I just want him back," he said.
"I'm just hoping someone sees something or knows something. I won't ask any questions, just give him back.
"At the same time I don't want this to happen to anyone, so realistically this guy should be caught and charged but I just want my dog back.
"This is something that's happening more often, you hear about it a fair bit and I think this guy would have done it before."
Mr Edmunds would like anyone with information to call Rockingham Rangers.
