"We're getting our little baby home."
That's how Josh Green, the owner of a Shar Pei named Henry, described being reunited with the pooch after he was "dognapped" on Wednesday.
"I thought they weren't going to find him, but I was super happy that the police did an amazing job and got him so quickly, in 24 hours," Green said on Thursday.
"I was stoked."
Green and Henry's co-owner, Emma Aldous, fronted a press conference alongside the exotic canine this afternoon in the wake of the harrowing ordeal in Sydney.
Green first reported Henry's disappearance to Newtown police yesterday after the pup vanished from outside a local cafe, despite being tied to a pole.
Detectives quickly launched an investigation and later the same day officers swooped on a nearby home, where Henry was spotted at the front door.
The 7-month-old dog was accompanied to Newtown Police Station and later reunited with his "family".
Vision of the emotional reunion can be viewed here.
A 42-year-old Camperdown local has been charged with larceny over the incident and will front Newtown Local Court in January.
Green said it was amazing to have his family back together.
"It was unbelievable, you couldn't describe how it felt," he told reporters.
"As soon as we saw him we were both so overwhelmed with emotion. All the police were there and they were so dedicated and genuinely cared.
"To a lot of people he's just a dog but to us he's our little boy."
The pair bought Henry from a specialist Shar Pei breeder in Penrith 6 months ago and say they have been happy with him ever since.
Originating from China, Shar-Peis were known for protecting their owner’s farms and property, and pups are said to cost between $800 – $1500 in Australia.
Aldous said she was in "extreme panic" on hearing Henry had gone missing.
"These things happen all the time and it is really awful they do happen to so m any people, but straight away we knew that someone had taken him," she said.
Following the abduction, Aldous took to social media, offering a $2000 reward for the return of the beloved animal.
"We were so scared we would never get him back and that's why we just shared and shared on Facebook ... social media is such an incredible platform and we really thank everyone," she added.
Acting Inspector Vincent Azzopardi said a number of big burly police officers had been "close to tears" at witnessing the emotional reunion.
He said the good result was due to tenacious policing like canvasing witnesses and looking at CCTV footage, not dusting for "paw prints".
"It was some god old fashioned police work," Azzopardi said.