Jonathan Hurte

Jonathan Hurte thought he had sacrificed his beloved Boston terrier for a cup of coffee.

The 34-year-old Atlanta man was staying at the Sheraton Read House with his fiancee when he ducked inside the nearby Starbucks on Dec. 28, chaining his dog, Barnaby, outside.

Minutes later, she was gone.

“I ran all through the parking decks, around the building. I’m starting to freak out,” said Mr. Hurte, who earlier that day was approached by a suspicious man inquiring about his dog. “That’s when all the incidents with the guy earlier made sense. (I’m thinking), ‘Now I’m going to blame myself. This is a terrible thing.’”

But within 40 minutes, Chattanooga police had found the dognapped Barnaby.

Officer Eric Milchak, a 10-year veteran who works in the downtown Bravo zone, said he knows where thieves take stolen goods to make a quick buck.

He found Barnaby on Boynton Drive after seeing a teenager walking a dog matching a photo provided by Mr. Hurte. When approached by the officer, the teen said he’d bought the dog for $10 from a man that morning.

Mr. Hurte said Barnaby is worth about $700.

Officer Milchak explained the situation, and the teen handed the dog over.

“I consider it just doing my job,” said Officer Milchak, also a field training officer and dog owner. “That’s why it’s an important thing they hang onto veteran officers. A rookie, he wouldn’t have any idea where to look for dogs. When you have people that have been out there for a while, they know what direction to go.”

“I was going to beat myself up about this forever,” Mr. Hurte said. “This police officer totally saved the day.”

Mr. Hurte said he no longer takes Barnaby’s safety for granted. He used to keep the dog, whom he’s owned for more than three years, in the front of his truck when he ran errands. Now he plans to keep the dog in a kennel and out of sight, he said.

“Never ever, ever leave your dog for any instance, even if you can see them,” he said. “You realize how easily things can be taken.”