Phoenix, the merle border collie who was inside a ute when his owners were attacked and the vehicle stolen, had been found safe and sound.
Police said the dog's owners, a 43-year-old woman and her 17-year-old daughter, were assaulted on Thursday afternoon in the Townsville suburb of Kelso, before the ute was taken with the family pet in the back seat.
It's the third violent attack in the city in the last fortnight, and the second time a family pet has been taken in a Queensland vehicle robbery in less than six months.
