Owner overjoyed after dog inside car stolen from St. John's Walmart found safe after 40-km joyride

Lamont Hanames got the fright of his life Monday evening, when his car was stolen with his five-year-old dog inside.

Hanames's son had the vehicle and the dog, Baby, at Walmart on Topsail Road in St. John's. While he was placing his cart back in the corral, three men jumped in the car and drove away.

"My dog was the biggest thing in my mind," Hanames said. "She is a very, very family-oriented dog. She was our biggest concern, that they wouldn't throw her out on the road."

Hanames daughter, Danielle, made a public post on Facebook with a photo of Baby. Within two hours, it had been shared more than 300 times.

Not long after the carjacking took place, Hanamesgot a call from the police, who told him they'd found his car 40 kilometres away in Tors Cove. It had been involved in an accident, but the dog was safe and still inside.

"Thank God this is the way it ended up," he said. "I'm very relieved. This kind of stuff going on today, it's unbelievable."

Hanames'sson headed down the Southern Shore on Monday night to retrieve the dog. Neither of them are sure of the damage to the vehicle, but they aren't concerned at this point.

Hanames said that's something they'll deal with after Baby makes her safe return.

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