A police dog had an extra edge tracking down an alleged thief on Tuesday: The suspect was carrying stolen steaks.

Saint John police say they responded to a theft call at a local store and spotted a man in his mid-20s running away.

They said he was wearing a dark toque, grey jacket "and carrying three club packs of steaks."

Police deployed a service dog, Diesel, to search for him.

A man was soon found and arrested for theft.

The 29-year-old man is to appear in provincial court to answer the charges.

"The steaks were recovered from the suspect. Probably not the best thing to be carrying when a determined police service dog is tracking you down," the Saint John police said in a release Wednesday.