A three-legged dog named Oscar was caught stealing dog food from a supermarket in New Zealand after video surveillance cameras filmed him in the act. The canine shoplifter grabbed a sausage of dog food from the fridge before making off with it.

The 10-year-old German short-haired pointer is believed to have escaped from family members looking after him while his owner was on holiday. The supermarket's owner Esmay Hay joked that the crafty three-legged German short-haired pointer wasn't the average shoplifter: "They're usually of the two-legged kind."

She said that they suspect Oscar might be a repeat offender: "We've noticed movement on the security cameras out the back, and there's been nobody here, so we're assuming now that Oscar may have paid us a visit before." She added jokingly that she doesn't plan to press charges.

Invercargill City Council took Oscar to the pound where he will remain until his owner picks him up. Hay said that her daughter shared the story of the thieving dog on Facebook and has received many offers from people offering to give the clever dog a home.

Update: Oscar's criminal days are behind him after his owner picked him up a few days later from the pound. His owner has asked to remain anonymous but Invercargill City Council Animal Control Officer Stephen Dawson says Oscar was delighted to be going home. "He was happy enough, bouncing around his three legs," he said. Oscar's owner has promised to take him back to the countryside, where he is used to living. See a photo of Oscar and read more here.

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• three-legged dog
• New Zealand
• supermarket
• stealing
• shoplifting
• steal