A beloved family pet has been returned more than two weeks since it was stolen from a supermarket car park.
Rico, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier and French mastiff cross, was snatched while his owners Hosea Stewart and Aymie Crowther were shopping at Morrisons, in Bilston, near Wolverhampton.
The couple, who had left the pet in the car with the window slightly open, were distraught when they returned and realised he'd vanished on June 27.
Frantic with worry, they searched high and low for Rico - who requires daily medication - and put a heartfelt plea on social media, offering £1,000 for his safe return.
Thousands of people shared the couple's daily appeals and more than two weeks later, their persistence paid off.
A relieved Hosea took to Facebook to share the news that Rico was "back where he belongs".
He said: "Rico’s back home! After 15 days non-stop searching, day after day, he’s back where he belongs.
"Fortunately someone got in contact after hearing what’d happened and reached out to meet us.
"Now our boy can get back to full health and the family can finally have some peace of mind. I knew it was only a matter of time."
Hosea told BirminghamLive he was "over the moon" to have his pet back and wished to thank everyone who had shared the posts, kept an eye out for Rico and supported the family during the distressing time.
He added: "The support and love for this dog is something special. Honestly, it’s amazing how people all over have reached out and day after day tried to help.
"I can’t thank everyone enough."
