NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - One of man's best friends has made friends at the New Middletown Police Department who helped return the puppy to its rightful owner.

Police Chief Vince D'Egidio tells 21 News that a local resident showed up at the police station with a pit bull puppy found in the Village.

According to the chief, the dog had no tag and was not microchipped so they had no quick way to find the owner.

D'Egidio, who said his officers fell in love with the dog, asked 21 News to help out, so we posted a story about the pup on wfmj.com and our social media outlets.

Two hours after we posted our story, the chief told 21 News that the owner had been located.

D'Egidio says there's a lesson here.   People should make sure that their dogs have the proper license and it's a good idea to have a microchip placed under the dog's skin in case it becomes lost.