A Twin Cities man has been reunited with his dog two days after his car with the pet inside was stolen outside a Richfield liquor store, authorities said Monday.

"Victor is safely back home!" declared the Facebook posting by police, which included a photo of the black Labrador mix safely in the arms of his owner, Lucas Albers.

The car, a 2021 black Chevrolet Malibu, was stolen Friday afternoon while left running in the parking lot at Richfield Liquors, 6600 Cedar Av. S., according to police. It contained a big-screen TV, an iPhone and Vic.

Police said Saturday that the car was recovered near Hamline University in St. Paul, but Vic was not inside.

The dog was said to be very friendly and that demeanor appears to have played a role in the happy ending.

"A gentleman in St. Paul was approached by Vic as he was walking home [Sunday] around 10 p.m. through a park," Albers, of St. Paul, wrote on Facebook. "He's in good health and good spirits. Vic was pretty thirsty and stinky when we got home, but he got a bath and is curled up in bed sleeping."

Richfield Police Department, Star Tribune
Vic is back home after being in a car that was stolen Friday in Richfield.

There's no word on whether the thief has been caught.

Paul Walsh