One day after posting a $15,000 reward for his lost dog, Bert Clark was reunited with his beloved pooch Huckleberry.
Someone contacted Toronto police after hearing about the reward on the news. Clark and Huckleberry were reunited Sunday night around midnight.
He said his family was thrilled when they heard from police but were reluctant to get too excited until Huckleberry was back in their arms.
"Until you have him back, you don't want to get your hopes up too high," Clark told CTV Toronto on Monday.
"It was a very, very emotional 48 hours," he said. "We're just happy to have him back."
Clark, his friends and other dog owners toasted the dog's safe return at Ramsden Park.
"Welcome home Huck, cheers!" they said as neighbourhood dogs also joined in on some special dog treats.
A father and son said they found the dog tied to a bench in a parkette shivering. They took the dog home and when they saw the story on the news, they called the police.
Clark said he paid the $15,000 reward as promised, calling the pooch a member of his family.
Rick Cassibo, a friend of the duo who rescued Huckleberry, said they will donate about $5,000 to a pet hospital and invest the rest of the money into college funds for their kids.
Huckleberry, a three-year-old, chocolate-coloured Labrador, went missing Saturday morning after his dog walker tied him to a pipe outside a bakery in the Rosedale neighbourhood.
Clark flew home from Florida when he heard about the news. He immediately suspected his pet was stolen.
Two young people were seen petting the dog before he disappeared.
On Sunday afternoon before receiving the good news, Clark said he hoped the large sum of money he was offering would motivate people to "do the right thing."
"The number I hope is just enough to motivate the people who have done this, or those around them who may know of Huckleberry's whereabouts, to do the right thing and bring him home," he said as went around the city posting flyers of his missing dog.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Galit Solomon
