An Adelaide family has been reunited with their beloved pony after it was allegedly stolen from a church yard on their daughter's 10th birthday.
Sammy the Shetland pony has appeared safe and well hours after little Alexis Latham publicly pleaded for her four-legged best friend to be returned, no questions asked.
Alexis yesterday told 9News said she was "devastated" when she woke up on her 10th birthday to the news her beloved horse was missing.
"We drove around for about three hours looking and he was gone," she said.
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The 12-year-old miniature pony is believed to have been taken from the Christian charity stables at Huntfield Heights sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning.
Her dad Arron said he discovered fresh tracks from Sammy's paddock to the road where they stopped.
"I went to go take the dogs for a walk and then to come back and find the horse wasn't in the yard, I didn't know how to go back and tell her," he said.
Arron said the family wanted the pet returned whatever way possible.
"If they could just put him on a rope in a park and report that he's there, we'd just like him back."
Alexis has had Sammy the Shetland pony for three months and the pair quickly became best friends.
"He would always nudge me all the time, like he's trying to give you a hug or something," Alexis said.
"Whenever I was sad I'd go and see him and I would feel great."
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Sammy's owners have reported his disappearance to police.
The family is installing extra cameras around the property.
Police are investigating and asking anyone with information to contact them.
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