BMW Stolen With Puppy In Backseat, NJ Cops Say Owner Left The Car Running

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A story of a stolen car and dog has reached a happy ending, as the dog has been returned to his owners.

On Monday, a BMW was stolen from the CVS parking lot near Columbia Turnpike in Florham Park. According to police, the owner of the car went into the pharmacy while the car was running.

Inside the car was Bauer, a three-month-old puppy who was taken during the car theft.

Police, residents, and animal advocates sought help from anyone who could help find Bauer on social media.

“I don’t care about the car we just want our dog back,” wrote owner Jacklyn Katz on social media.

The stolen car was spotted several times throughout New Jersey and New York, but it was not recovered.

It was around 24 hours after the theft that Bauer was found and reunited with Katz's family, police said.

Police told Patch that someone found Bauer on the side of the road on I-78 by Newark Airport while on her way home from work. The Good Samaritan reached out to Katz to return the fluffy friend.

“Bauer is home!!!!! Thank you to everyone who posted and shared. There are good people in the world and we are so so grateful,” Katz wrote in a Facebook post.

The BMW has still not been found, officials said. Anyone with information on the car theft is asked to call the Florham Park Police Department at 973-377-2200.

The car/canine theft comes on the heels of several successful and attempted car thefts in the Florham Park area. Authorities ask that residents remember to lock their car doors and never leave their car running unattended.

"Criminals prey on the good people of our community who don’t believe bad things will happen to them, but they can," said Florham Park Police Captain Brian Ford. "When opportunities exist for criminals to thrive and we become a target-rich environment, not only do our townspeople suffer, but it makes our job policing Florham Park more difficult."