They were in a van that was stolen in downtown St. Paul.

The theft of a minivan sparked a search that spread quickly on social media on Friday night – because two dogs were taken with it.

A minivan belonging to the mother of Brennan Furness, a senior policy adviser to Gov. Mark Dayton, was stolen from downtown St. Paul.

To make matters worse, also taken were her two golden retrievers, Harkin and Dev, who were in crates in the back of her Dodge Caravan.

Furness took to Twitter and Facebook to spread the word about the theft, in the hope Twin Cities residents could help track down the missing van.

Fortunately, this tale has a happy ending, as a citizen reported to police an abandoned van on Saturday morning.

The dogs were still inside, perfectly safe, "just scared and thirsty," Brennan wrote.

'We are forever grateful. Thank you everyone for your help," he tweeted.