A man and his dog were reunited after two years.

Austin, a rare chihuahua pug crossbreed often known as a chugg, was taken – along with his brother Harley – during a London house burglary two years ago when the pair were not even a year old.

Two years later, on March 29, Austin was handed in to a pet store in Tilgate.

Crawley Borough Council’s Community Wardens were called and were quickly able to establish that Anil Malhotra  was the young dog’s owner thanks to the information held in Austin’s microchip.

Community wardens called Mr Malhotra, who still lives in London, and the pair were reunited the very next day.

The grateful dog owner said: “Austin and Harley were taken two years ago when they were only puppies. I’m really happy to have Austin back; he recognised me straightaway and he’s settling in well now he’s back home.

“I was really impressed by the work of the Community Wardens and they made the process really smooth for me. I’d definitely recommend getting your dog microchipped – if Austin didn’t have one he’d still be missing.”

Dog owners can now take advantage of free microchipping provided by the council’s community wardens.

Email nicola.glemas@crawley.go.uk to arrange an appointment.