KEY POINTS:
Two valuable sheep dogs stolen last month from their elderly owner's Otahuhu property have been found alive and well in central Northland.
Heading dogs June and Trace disappeared overnight on July 6 from the Portage Rd property of 82-year-old Jack Mills.
The dogs, said to be valued at
$7000 and $5000 each, were found by Kaikohe police. Mr Mills is to retrieve them today.
Constable Bart Graham of Kaikohe said June and Trace did not appear "any worse for wear".
No arrest has been made but police are continuing inquiries.
Mr Mills, a seasoned sheep dog trialist, said last night that he had had a fantastic response from people, especially other dog trialists, since TV One's Close Up show on Friday night reported the theft.
"I've had heaps of offers to give me dogs to start the season off.
"It gets you thinking that there's still a lot of good people around, but now I don't need new dogs."
Mr Mills, who lives alone, said he's been on his Portage Rd property for 45 to 50 years.
"I've had more than a hundred dogs in that time and I'd never lost one or had one run over."
But a happy Mr Mills was still concerned last night about the fate of a 5-year-old black heading dog on loan from a friend which went missing at the same time.
Meanwhile, a kidnapped cat dumped on Auckland's North Shore has been reunited with its owner.
Lisa Morice's cat Max went missing late last month from Westmere.
Ms Morice circulated flyers and received an anonymous telephone call from a man saying there was a letter about Max in her letterbox.
The unsigned letter said Max had been taken "overseas" and left on the Northcote Pt side of Onewa Rd.
It read: "I and others who have lived in our home have had a long and very unsatisfactory relationship with Max, especially our cat who has sustained various injuries, one permanent, attempting to defend her territory.
"Max has been a regular nocturnal invader, eating our cat's food and occasionally defecating in the corner. It was high time this came to an end."
The letter went on to describe how the man captured Max in his house after two hours playing cat and mouse, with Max as the prey.
Herald deputy chief reporter Keith Perry, who lives in Northcote, found him under his house on Saturday and recognised him from the flyer.
Ms Morice said it felt great to be reunited with Max, who had lost weight and would now be kept inside at night so he would be safe.
Police traced the anonymous telephone call and have spoken to a man. Their inquiries are continuing.
