A man who stole a vacationing family’s dog from Campland on the Bay in Pacific Beach has pleaded guilty, but was spared jail time after he agreed to perform volunteer work for the San Diego Humane Society, a prosecutor said.

The family dog – a mini Goldendoodle named Chancho – valued between $1,600 to $2,500, was recovered and was returned to the Utah family Aug. 10, 2022, after eight days.

Deputy District Attorney Alexander Tracosas said the felony grand theft dog charge was reduced to a misdemeanor last week and Johnny Dwight Smith, 40, of National City, was placed on one-year probation.

Smith agreed to a sentence of performing 40 hours of volunteer work with the Humane Society and was given credits of two days previously spent in jail by San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano and fined.

There is no restitution owing to the family because the dog was recovered, said Tracosas, who added that the family was “very satisfied” with the case’s outcome.

Security camera footage showed a man leaving the Pacific Beach campground with the dog on a leash at 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2022. The family published reward posters and Hannah McGuire testified Smith called her to say he had her dog.

Smith claimed on the phone he purchased her dog for his mother-in-law, said McGuire in his preliminary hearing. McGuire called San Diego Police, who made arrangements to meet Smith and arrested him after seeing the dog.

“It was quite a relief to have him home and that he was safe,” said McGuire.

KFMB-TV (Channel 8) aired a reunion of the family with Chancho at the Northern Division police station that showed Chancho giving them lots of kisses and jumping up and down.