LOS ANGELES, CA. (THECOUNT) — Soccer star, Daniel Sturridge, has been reunited with his beloved pooch, Pomeranian Lucci, after the animal was stolen by a group of thieves who broke into his Hollywood Hills home while he was away late Monday.

A day after issuing a desperate plea for the safe return of Lucci, Sturridge, a world-renowned soccer player, made the happy announcement that his pup was found safe and sound in South Los Angeles.

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“Thanks to everyone worldwide for the support,” Sturridge wrote on Instagram.

“We’re so grateful for you all without you this wouldn’t have been possible!! @luccidapoochie is safe and sound!! Thanks to everyone involved across LA. Special thanks to @kimberlychengtv for giving us the tip off that someone called into the show and said they have him. Her lead enabled myself and friends to go pick him up,” reports KTLA.

Sturridge and a group of friends drove down to South L.A. to retrieve the missing dog just after 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to the post.

The dog was apparently discovered by two individuals who had seen the story on local news. They had found the dog running in a street. A KTLA reporter passed along the tip to Sturridge, who confirmed the dog was Lucci.

“Her lead enabled myself and friends to go pick him up,” Sturridge wrote in the text accompanying the video post.

A short time after the first post, he uploaded another video of Lucci playing with a toy after the pair were reunited.