Police locate stolen van full of dogs in Whitby, Ont.

Police say a van with 13 to 15 dogs inside that was reported stolen east of Toronto has been recovered.

Durham Regional Police said the incident happened around 11:30 a.m. on Friday in the area of Garden Street and Manning Road in Whitby.

Const. George Tudos told Global News a dog walker was approached by a suspect with a knife and made off with the van.

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At 3 p.m., police tweeted that the white 2008 Chevrolet Uplander was located near High Street in Whitby.

“Officers are working on reuniting (the dogs) with their rightful owners,” Durham police tweeted, later adding that the animals were OK.

As of 3:15 p.m., police said they were still looking to locate and arrest the suspect.

Prior to the recovery of the van, authorities said the suspect may be armed and advised the public not to approach the vehicle but call 911 instead.

– With a file from Kerri Breen