A homeowner’s “trusty pooch” and a police dog unit have combined to put a paws on car thefts in an East Auckland suburb overnight.
At 3.45am this morning, a Greenlane resident awoke to his dog barking, leading him to discover two people outside his home looking at parked cars with a torch.
By the time police arrived, the pair had fled in a vehicle, but Inspector Jim Wilson credited the man’s “trusty pooch” with alerting his owner.
A police helicopter monitored the vehicle, and it was successfully spiked, however, it continued onto Great South Rd.
The vehicle was seen being driven on the opposite side of the road before it was abandoned in Garland Rd.
The driver took off on foot and a police dog unit was deployed.
“He was apprehended nearby and received minor police dog bites and was given medical treatment,” Wilson said.
The other passenger remained in the vehicle and was arrested without any further incident.
“After a busy night, it’s left two smart dogs catching up on some much-needed sleep,” the inspector said.
A 38-year-old was appearing in Auckland District Court, charged with failing to stop, driving dangerously, possessing cannabis and possessing an offensive weapon.
“Fortunately, it appears no vehicles in the street were successfully broken into,” Wilson said.
