It’s every dog owner’s worst nightmare: You’re out for a midday stroll and getting a wee bit peckish, so you park your pet outside while you pop inside a restaurant for a quick bite — and when you come back out, your faithful companion is nowhere to be found.

That’s what happened to Jeff Robertson and his wife, Sylvia Do Vale, when they emerged from Pure Restaurant on Elgin Street on Saturday, only to discover that three-year old Sage, their Labrador/shepherd cross, was no longer waiting patiently for his family.

After speaking with two fellow restaurant patrons who had witnessed a woman untie the dog — and had, in fact, been immediately suspicious of her actions and attempted to intervene — Robertson headed south down Elgin in search of Sage and his dognapper.

“I didn’t have a description of her or any other information, but I obviously knew what my dog looked like,” he said Sunday.

A few minutes later, he flagged down a passing police cruiser car and explained the situation.

“He took it seriously, thankfully, and started taking down notes.”

The officer told Robertson to go back to the restaurant — the scene of the crime, as it were — so police could get more information and interview the eyewitnesses. He also suggested Robertson to use the power of social media, which he did, posting to both Twitter and Facebook.

The couple was also advised to start calling pet food and supply stores on the theory that whoever took Sage might need to pick up kibble for the purloined pooch.

These two bits of advice would ultimately prove critical: not only did Do Vale post on her own Facebook account, but she also shared it with the Ottawa and Valley Lost Pet Network, which, Robertson says, “got a lot of attention really quickly.”

Her calls to local pet suppliers also turned up a major lead when a clerk at PetValu at Bank Street and Strathcona Avenue realized that a woman fitting that description had not only been a customer but had been captured by the store’s security cameras. After viewing the video, the couple immediately identified Sage as their missing dog.

That prompted another call to police, and a few hours later Sage was home. Meanwhile, the woman responsible for his brief separation from his family had been charged with theft.

“We were very lucky,” Robertson admitted. “It’s easy to get lulled into complacency, and take things for granted, and this is the best possible lesson not to do that

“We got really lucky for a situation like this, because everything seems to have worked out for the best,” from witnesses who were suspicious enough to notice key details to the involvement of police.

“I’m sure this is a rarity, and that most cases where dogs go missing or are stolen don’t end this well.”

While Sage was physically unharmed, it sounds like his canine sense of security might have been shaken by the experience.

“He’s a bit more clingy,” Do Vale said, “and in need of extra cuddles.”

Roberston agreed. “He’s weirdly even more affectionate than usual.”

As for future outings, Robertson said, they’ll be more careful.

“I still think it’s important to include him in as much stuff that we do as possible, and one of the reasons why I like living in Centretown is that you can walk everywhere. But I think it’s going to have to be a rule now that if we go out for lunch or something, that he’s within view.”