'I'm ecstatic': B.C. man gets his puppy back 3 days after she was stolen

Brad Kuich brought his puppy, Belle, home when she was just eight weeks old.

The Kelowna, B.C., man said it was "life-changing" to have the border collie around, and the pair developed "a real tight bond."

So when the dog went missing earlier this week, Kuich said his "heart went right up into his throat."

His heart leapt again on Friday, but for a much better reason.

"I got a phone call from the police service in Medicine Hat ... they said they recovered Belle," he told the Calgary Eyeopener. "I'm ecstatic."

"The constable said they took her out — she was in her crate — and gave her some water," he said. "She's bouncing around now and she wants to play ball, so that's a good sign."

Belle went missing when Kuich's pickup truck was stolen from the Medicine Hat Mall parking lot on Tuesday. The puppy had been waiting in the Chevy while her owner stopped to pick up a new cell phone.

"I was in total shock," Kuich said.

The owner appealed to whoever could have taken the truck, asking them to drop Belle off somewhere safe.

Medicine Hat police said they found the pickup in a parking lot not far from the mall on Friday, with the dog safe in the back.

"She was in good health," Insp. Joe West said. "We're currently processing the truck for forensic evidence to see if we can find a suspect."

Should charges be laid, the officer said there likely wouldn't be an extra charge for stealing the dog along with the truck because the puppy didn't appear to have been mistreated.

For Kuich, all that matters is that he's getting Belle back.

"I'm just thrilled."