7-year-old shih-tzu named Reo found safe in homeless encampment a week after being dognapped by carjacker

• A 7-year-old shih-tzu named Reo was reunited with his family after being dognapped by a carjacker.
• Reo was in the back seat when a thief assaulted his owner and stole her car.

A 7-year-old Shih-Tzu named Reo has been reunited with his family a week after he was dognapped by a carjacker who stole his owner's car.

The dog's 74-year-old owner, a woman from Clearview City, Utah, sustained minor injuries last Sunday after a thief stole her keys while she was shopping in a grocery store. When the victim tried to prevent the thief from leaving, she "struck the victim with a portion of the car" and sped off.

When the suspect was apprehended on Thursday, there was no sign of Reo, who was in the back seat of the vehicle when it was stolen.

The 30-year-old suspect has since been charged with robbery, aggravated assault, theft of a motor vehicle, vehicle burglary, theft, and criminal trespassing related to the incident.

The Clearview City Police Department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

After a public search, Reo was found dumped in a homeless encampment in good health and unharmed on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Clearview City Police Department. The pup had been dropped off with a random family at the encampment in Salt Lake City.

"It appears this homeless family had no idea the dog was stolen and took good care of the dog while in their company," the department's statement read. "The dog was given back to the victim without issue."