A clever three-legged dog became one of New Zealand’s most wanted this week, after being caught red-handed stealing pet food from the local dairy.
The 10-year-old German short-haired pointer, who is named Oscar, was caught by a security camera, leaving dairy staff chuckling.
The cunning pooch was filmed selectively grabbing a pet food roll before dashing quickly out the door, leaving customers stunned.
Esmay Hay, who owns the Alary Dairy in Invercargill, found the theft hilarious.
“He’s not your usual shop-lifter is he? No, they’re usually of the two-legged kind,” she says.
But it might not be the first dog roll Oscar’s managed to get his paws on – he’s a suspected repeat offender.
“We noticed movement on the security camera, there’s been nobody here so I’m assuming now Oscar may have paid us a visit before,” she says.
Dogged determination may have landed Oscar in the dog box, but it turns out he’s no stranger to the law. Animal Control Officer Stephen Dawson is keeping the thief at bay in a local pound.
“We’ve had dealings with him before, he used to go visiting the young lady dog up the road,” he says. “We’re not too sure what his intentions were.”
But his intentions here were clear, leaving the local community to wonder who let this dog out.
Invercargill City Council Manager of Environmental Health John Youngson was on the case, saying that the dog has escaped through bad fencing.
“The owner’s gone on holiday, he’s given him to another family member to look after,” he says.
With an increase in calls to the pound over the holiday period, Mr Youngson is warning owners to be more diligent with their pets.
"If you’re leaving your dog in someone’s care, make sure they’ve got the right facilities to look after the dog,” he says.
But Ms Hay says Oscar is too lovable to get angry with.
“You couldn’t be wild with him, you couldn’t be angry with him … No charges, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on,” she says.
Now hounded by local media, Oscar has become a hot dog in demand.
“My daughter’s had a Facebook page up, with 300 hits on it saying they want to give [him] a home, so I’m sure there’s somebody out there if the owner doesn't want him,” Ms Hay says.
Oscar will remain at the pound until he’s returned to his registered owner at the end of the week. They’re currently on holiday in Stewart Island.
3 News