The 3-year-old dog that was taken for a walk from a Boston animal shelter by a potential adopter in April and never returned has been found.

The Animal Rescue League announced Wednesday that the gray and white pitbull-mix named Nick is back at the Boston shelter.

BREAKING NEWS: Nick, who was stolen from ARL more than a month ago has been returned — he's healthy and doing great! A Good Samaritan reported Nick last night and we couldn't be happier! Thanks to @bostonpolice @MspcaAngell and others who made this reunion possible. pic.twitter.com/Av1HwnK0kS — Animal Rescue League (@ARLBostonRescue) May 16, 2018

Shelter officials had been offering a $1,000 reward for information that led to the pup’s return.

Mike DeFina, a spokesman for the Animal Rescue League, told Boston.com that the shelter learned of Nick’s whereabouts after a Dorchester man called the MSPCA call center and said he’d been taking care of a dog for a few weeks. A description of the pup led to the MSPCA contacting the Animal Rescue League’s law enforcement team, who went and picked up Nick around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.


“He looks good, he’s healthy, he’s happy,” DeFina said of the returned dog. “Bottom line we’re just really grateful to have him back.”

DeFina said it isn’t clear how the dog ended up in the good Samaritan’s care.

“We’re just happy that he was found and that this person did the right thing and made that phone call,” he said.

Nick still has to undergo some medical evaluations, but DeFina said the hope is that the dog, who shelter officials have previously described as a “staff favorite,” will be available for adoption again soon.

Update: At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Animal Rescue League officials said the good Samaritan had gotten Nick from a “secondary person” and did not know the pup had been stolen from the shelter when he called the MSPCA to ask about vaccines for the dog. The reward will be given to the man since Nick was so well taken care of in his care, officials said.