Moment Bowie the blind dog is reunited with his family, 300km away from Gold Coast home

A beloved blind dog has been reunited with his relieved owners after being allegedly stolen from his family home and taken interstate.

Bowie, a tri-coloured Australian Shepherd, was taken from his home at Southport on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

The Durman family returned to find their much-loved pet, car and other personal items missing from their ransacked house.

Queensland Police launched a public appeal and on Friday, Bowie was found safe and well after NSW Police pulled over a car at Nambucca Heads on the state’s mid-north coast, some 300km away from home. 

Luke Durman and 10-year-old son Leo made the four-hour dash south to be reunited with their dog at Macksville police station, sparking heartwarming scenes.

Footage shows a delighted Bowie racing to his owners with his tail furiously wagging as he climbed into their arms and greeted them with licks.

‘I am just rapt he is back,’ Luke Durman told 7News.

While Leo was just overjoyed that his furry friend was back where he belongs.

‘I am just feeling fantastic now,’ he said.

‘Bad at the start but great now.’

Bowie was checked by a vet and given a clean bill of health. 

CCTV released by Queensland Police showed Bowie showed sitting in a car at a service station at Yamba on Wednesday as an unknown man filled up the vehicle. 

Several items were allegedly stolen during the break-in at Southport, including a grey 2022 Hyundai Tucson station wagon with Queensland registration 021FO8, within which Bowie was allegedly driven away from his home.

The car was intercepted by NSW Police on Friday near Nambucca Heads on the state’s mid-north coast following a tip-off from the public.

Bowie was found on passenger seat, some 300km away from home.

Bowie the blind pet dog was found some 300km away from home on Friday

A Southport man, 48, was arrested and questioned by police.

He’s expected to be charged with property offences and extradited back to Queensland. 

Investigations into the alleged break and enter are continuing.

The Durmans were reportedly away on a ski trip at the time when their home was allegedly broken into on Wednesday.

The family had returned to their Gold Coast home to find food and other items strewn around the living room, clothes and personal documents missing, and baby photos shoved in the toilets. 

‘Once we realised Bowie was gone, the cars and everything was immaterial to that,’ Mr Durman said.

‘The focus was, we just wanted Bowie back.’

Bowie’s family returned from a ski trip to find items strewn around the living room and baby photos shoved in their toilets

Chilling CCTV footage showed Bowie allegedly being taken away by an unknown driver