VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver nearly gave up their search for an Alberta fugitive until a service dog sniffed out the man's hiding place — inside a couch.

As Lupo began focusing on a couch in the living room of a home on the city's east side, officers, who'd looked high and low for their suspect, lifted the rather heavy piece of furniture and removed the fabric from the bottom.

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Police say they discovered 36-year-old Adam Harlock nestled in a cavity and have their four-legged colleague to thank for a job well done.

Insp. Ian Upton says that in his 24 years as a police officer, he's never heard of anyone taking refuge in a couch.

Police say Harlock was on the run after being ordered to serve a three-and-a-half year sentence for drug offences.

Harlock is being returned home but police say his new digs may not be as comfortable as his hiding spot.