Police have rescued a pet Doberman from a car that was stolen in York.
Officers pursued the stolen Ranger Rover towards Selby, closing a road for a short time as part of their operation.
They used a stinger to bring the car to a halt, after which it crashed and ended up upside down in a field.
Police received a call at 4pm on Thursday from a driver in Acomb to say their Range Rover had just been stolen from outside a shop with their Doberman dog left inside the vehicle.
Roads policing officers, the police helicopter and a police dog unit were all scrambled towards the stolen vehicle.
Officers managed to put a stinger site in place on the A163 at North Duffield and the stolen vehicle was stung less than 30 minutes after it was reported to police. The vehicle managed to continue for a short time before it overturned in a field.
A man was quickly detained – but the Doberman fled, running half a mile from the vehicle.
The owner’s dog who remained inside the vehicle for the length of the pursuit fled from the vehicle once it overturned. Once the suspect was detained by officers the police helicopter focused on the dog who ran half a mile from the stolen vehicle.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “The helicopter guided units towards the shaken dog. A vet was quickly brought in to assist with the welfare of the dog who did not suffer serious injuries.”
A 29-year-old man from the York area was arrested on suspicion of aggravated taking vehicle without consent, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop for the police, driving whilst unfit through drugs, driving dangerously and driving a motor vehicle with no insurance.
The man was accompanied to hospital for minor treatment before he was taken to police custody.
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]
The police spokesman said: “This was a distressing incident for the victim and unfortunately despite the recovery of the vehicle, it has sustained serious damage.
“The quick action of the victim and the immediate response from police has led to the arrest of a suspect. It also reunited the dog with his owner and it’s also nice when a ‘tail’ has a happy ending.”