The dog that was allegedly stolen from a downtown shelter earlier this week has been returned safely.

Toronto police said a man went to the Toronto Humane Society on River Street on three separate occasions and demanded that he be given a dog for free. He was turned away each time.

Then at around 11:30 a.m. on Aug.  9, the man returned to the shelter, went straight to the kennels and leashed a dog. He then walked out the front door with the animal, police said.

The pair was last seen exiting an eastbound GO train at Oshawa Station the same day.

On Sunday, someone called police just before 2 p.m. after seeing suspect with the dog in the area of Glenanna Road and Kingston Road in Pickering, police said.

Durham police arrested the suspect and then turned him over to Toronto police along with the dog.

Milo was then returned to the Humane Society.

Police earlier identified the suspect as 31-year-old Christopher Rich, of no fixed address.

He has been charged wtih theft under $5,000, failing to comply with probation, and possession of property obtained by crime.

The organization said Milo is being checked out by their medical team.

"Thank you again everyone for helping!," THS said in a tweet.