Police yesterday afternoon confirmed a man was arrested after being spotted with the dogs in Fairlie, nearly 300km from where they were separated from their owners in Omakau.
The manhunt culminated in the man attempting to escape with the dogs on a bike after abandoning a stolen ute in rural Geraldine.
It all began on Saturday when Springvale couple Shaid Jackson and Jacob Nolan had their ute stolen — the two dogs still inside — while briefly stopping to pay a friend a New Year visit in Omakau.
The couple were not even out of the truck "for more than f...... five minutes", she said.
"We got in the car and tried to chase him, but he was gone before we could even get down the road."
Members of the public had since spotted the ute and sent them videos of it, which gave them hope the pets were still alive.
Ms Jackson said it was about 6.30am yesterday when police told them the dogs had been found and were in the care of veterinarians in Fairlie.
"We both just lost it," she said.
"We really couldn’t even imagine that this is how it was going to turn out.
"We’re so beyond relieved."
The dogs, 9-year-old huntaway-cross Jock and 5-year-old blue heeler Nala, "were in good condition considering what they’ve been through".
She thanked the members of the public who reported sightings of the stolen ute, as well as those who had been out "all day and all night" helping them and police.
A member of the public ultimately came across the offender "on a pushbike with the two dogs", Ms Jackson said.
The man was initially offered a ride in a car, until the member of the public realised who he was, "threw him out" and took the dogs straight to the vets, she said.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, yesterday shed further light on the manhunt.
Police had attempted to spike a vehicle before finding it on farmland.
The vehicle was disabled to prevent it from being stolen again, "but potentially the landowner will look to recover the vehicle with a tractor" as it was likely stuck.
At one point, canine units were also requested, he said.
A police spokeswoman said they were notified a person had spotted the man with the dogs in Main St, Fairlie, about 6.30am yesterday.
Police also located the stolen ute early morning in a remote Geraldine rural location.
A 35-year-old man was due to appear in the Timaru District Court today, the spokeswoman said.
Sergeant Regan Price, of Cromwell, said the white Holden Colorado ute was the second vehicle to be stolen following a burglary in Alexandra earlier on Saturday, the first vehicle being dumped in Omakau.
