Police celebrated the recovery of one of their dogs that went missing from Tigania police station in Meru.
The female dog nicknamed Jet and aged seven years went missing on February 6, at about midday by its guide.
It was however found at the home of a resident on Thursday, February 8, in Karama few kilometers from the station.
The owner of the home said he found Jet stranded along the Meru-Maua highway before he decided to pick it up.
He even took a matatu with the dog to his home.
A Good Samaritan who said he read news of the animal in the media informed the local police of its presence.
The good Samaritan informed police at the Karama police post saying their missing dog was at the home.
Police went there and found it tied in a small kennel.
Witnesses said the dog was happy to be reunited with her handler.
It was later taken for medical tests at the Embu police headquarters.
The guide had gone to check on the animal for feeding sessions when he found it missing.
Police said it was of Belgian Malinois breed and brown turn in colour.
Each can fetch up to Sh500,000 depending on the age, officials said.
The police believe the animal was picked up by someone who knew about its movements.
Police dogs are usually handled with care as they are highly trained and their rearing takes a long time and is expensive, officials say.
The police department has a full-fledged dog unit based at Langata dubbed Langata K-9, which was established to support in care and maintenance of the dogs, procure and breed, train the animals and handlers and deploy them for crime detection and prevention.
The unit has about 5,000 dogs deployed in counties and at key institutions like airports, water reservoirs, Parliament and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. Some are attached to VIPs, especially the president.
If these dogs are killed in the line of duty, they receive the same honours as their human partners.
The canine law enforcers patrol streets, sniff out explosives and narcotics and chase or help arrest fleeing crime suspects.
The department usually sells the animals to prospective buyers.
The animals include Rottweilers, English Spaniels, Boerboel, Labradors, Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.
The Kenya Police Dog Unit, which opened its doors in 1948 in Nanyuki, uses different dogs for patrol, tracking firearms and drugs and explosives detection.