Dog found in carjacked car - 3 days after car was stolen

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Truckee Police were dedicated to finding a dog who was in a vehicle that was carjacked.

A very stressful three day ordeal began Saturday night when Carolyn Hamilton and her husband were getting ready to go out, bringing along their beloved 6-year-old family dog Albus.

"We just put him in the truck in our driveway, came back in to say goodbye, and literally turned around and the truck was gone."

Truckee police say surveillance video shows two men stealing items from a car. It was just before the Hamilton's car was stolen with Albus inside. 

"We instantly called 911 and Truckee police saturated the area."

Police caught up with the truck in downtown Truckee but the thieves took off eastbound on Interstate 80. 

The CHP joined the pursuit all the way to Reno where the thieves exited. Officers called off the chase when they deemed it too dangerous to continue.

The Hamiltons put up fliers. They and many volunteers searched for three days. Truckee police kept looking as well. 

"There was some hope in it and some urgency. And I think that's a magical equation."

Police body cam video from Tuesday night shows when police found the car abandoned in a southeast Reno neighborhood with Albus inside. 

Truckee Police told Carolyn they believe he was in that car - with windows up - the entire time.

Albus was weak and dehydrated, but otherwise healthy.

Carolyn says the whole experience very eye-opening for her family.

"This is not a tragedy in the proportion of what people experience all around the world and in our community every day."

She says they thought a lot about people who lost relatives and pets in the recent California wildfires.

"We tried to always compare our grief to the larger grief. And I think what happened is that we were able to just be a little more compassionate for people who experience loss." 

The Hamiltons have deep appreciation for their community and their police who didn't give up.

The Truckee Police Department shared a photo on Facebook of officers paying the Hamiltons on Wednesday afternoon visit after Albus came back from the vet.