SAN JOSE — A wolf cub of a puppy braved an incredible journey over the holiday weekend when she was dognapped during a violent home robbery, police said, only to be rescued in the nick of time for a Christmas Day reunion with her owner.

The adventure began when the owner of the Alaskan Malamute pup posted a Craiglist ad putting her up for sale with a reported asking price between $800 and $900. The pup was the product of a recent litter of another of the owner’s dogs.

The morning of Dec. 23, a man responding to the ad showed up to their home on Lyndale Avenue.

The man, since identified as 19-year-old Raymond Gonzalez, left and returned with a friend, identified as 26-year-old Andrew Kavanagh. But instead of continuing the transaction, the two men reportedly beat the male owner with a blunt object and used a stun gun on him.

The men then ransacked the home, stealing cash, assorted property, and above all else, the female puppy.

Veteran patrol officers Rafael Varela and Frank Montoya responded to the aftermath of the robbery, which caused serious but non-life threatening injuries to the man who was attacked. Seasoned investigators themselves, the two enlisted the help of other officers in their patrol unit to track down the suspected assailants and dognappers.

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An ensuing investigation identified Gonzalez, and the officers got to work. Among them was three-year officer Alan Yee.

“The whole team was involved. We worked all weekend on this,” Yee said. “We go to a lot of robberies, but this was special. For anyone who loves animals, this is another life. We wanted to get her back by Christmas.”

On Sunday afternoon, on a San Jose street, Yee was working leads on the case when he spotted someone who resembled Gonzalez standing outside a car. Upon approaching the man Yee confirmed that it was Gonzalez, and arrested him.

And sitting in the front seat of Gonzalez’s car was the puppy, who for what it’s worth, had apparently been named Elsa — of “Frozen” fame — by Gonzalez.

“I look into the car, and there was the puppy, in plain sight,” Yee said.

The puppy was homeward bound and was returned to her owner before the end of Christmas Day.

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How a really big check unraveled a well-oiled patronage system with Santa Clara County concealed-gun permits A day later, officers found and arrested Kavanagh in San Jose. Both men were booked into the Elmwood Correctional Complex in Milpitas on suspicion of robbery, kidnapping — stemming from allegations they forcibly moved the owner around the home, not for taking the puppy — and assault with a deadly weapon. Gonzalez is being held on $175,000 bail and Kavanagh is being held on $75,000 bail.

Sgt. Enrique Garcia, a police spokesman, said the case was solved in part because several members of the patrol unit are experienced investigators who have worked detective rotations in their careers.

“This patrol team exemplifies how everyone benefits greatly by having such a talented group of officers working in our city,” Garcia said. “With their vast experience, Officers Varela and Montoya took the lead and followed-up on this case, while Sgt. (Steve) Slack allowed the other officers to assist with the investigation and hunt for the bad guys. This department is an excellent training ground for new officers.”

Yee counts himself among those newer officers benefiting from working with veteran cops, and got what he is sure will be a lasting memory for his career.

“It was like our own little Christmas story,” Yee said. “We’ll remember this. Having all that work pay off and result in an arrest was a great Christmas present for the team as well as the victim.”

CRIME AVOIDANCE TIPS

San Jose police recommend that people follow a few basic guidelines when meeting buyers for transactions and sales that originate online through websites like Craigslist: