Last week, this sweet, shaggy-haired pup named Buddy underwent a harrowing ordeal.

While waiting out front of a grocery store in Germany, where his owner was shopping, a stranger arrived and did the unthinkable — they kidnapped him. Buddy was whisked away to some unknown place.

The dog’s owner, who returned moments later, was devastated to learn that someone had walked off with her beloved pet. But then one very determined cop stepped in to take on the case.

The officer, from the Greifswald Police, was soon on the scene to take down a report of the incident. There, he discovered that the dog’s owner only spoke Ukrainian.

Using a computer to translate, the officer came to learn that she, along with her two kids and Buddy, had recently fled to Germany from war-torn Ukraine. Buddy had survived that journey, but now he was caught up in a new type of peril.

The officer was so moved he decided to go above and beyond to make sure that little Buddy made it home safe.

“[Our officer] questioned numerous witnesses on the spot and looked for clues on the man who was seen taking the dog,” the Greifswald Police wrote. “At first, the search was unsuccessful, but it would experience a turning point soon.”

In his off time and with his own money, the officer printed up posters of the missing Buddy to hang up and distribute around town. It was while handing out one of the posters at a local animal shelter, however, that the case was finally cracked.

An employee there recognized Buddy as an abandoned dog they’d picked up a few days earlier. Learning he’d originally been kidnapped came as a shock.

“The staff of the animal shelter could hardly believe the story themselves and immediately handed Buddy over to the police,” the department wrote.

Buddy had been found safe. And, thanks to the officer’s commitment, he’d soon be back where he belongs.

Five days after he was kidnapped, Buddy’s worried owner finally got the news she’d been hoping for — and the pair were reunited.

“The Ukrainian woman was so happy that, even without words, it became clear how grateful she was,” the police department wrote. “Sometimes, a hug says a thousand words.”