Sleepless nights have now ended for Nadine Hamilton as she is once again reunited with her heartbeat, Ashley - the Shih Tzu poodle which was reportedly stolen from Hamilton's Calabar Mews, St Andrew, apartment last week. The woman had immediate put up a $100,000 reward for the canine's safe return right after it went missing.

Sometime after 1 p.m. yesterday, Hamilton said a group of good samaritans from the volatile Waterhouse community in St Andrew, returned the dog.

"I got her back!" Hamilton said, bubbling with happiness and life as she spoke with THE STAR yesterday. "The guys handed her to me about a hour and a half ago."

a 'coke head' sold the dog

Hamilton explained that the group of three from the Kingston 11 community did not even ask for the $100,000, settling for an amount which was drastically smaller - $13,000. They also declined to have any photos taken of them.

"The guys told me that they saw the dog a few days before the story came out in the paper. So, after the story came out, they went back to the guy they saw with the dog asking about it but that guy, who they say is a coke head, sold the dog for $13,000," Hamilton said.

She said the guys then called and updated her on the situation, promising they would help in retrieving her dog as they had read the article in THE STAR.

Hamilton continued that the guys searched and found out who had bought Ashley from the 'coke head' and told that man that his new pet was stolen and sold to him.

"So that man said that he paid $13,000 for the dog and he would not be giving up the dog unless he got back the money," Hamilton said. The woman said she told the group of men that she would have no problem reimbursing the $13,000 if they brought Ashley to her. So said so done. In the words of the blissful pet lover, "Ashley is back in good condition."

"She is at the veterinarian being checked right now ... I want to thank all the people who called and showed their sympathy and especially to these youths from the garrison who got her back to me, big up to them. There are good people in the garrisons," Hamilton said. "A very big thank you to Inspector Glenford Miller, Detective Corporal Morgan and Constable Prendergast from the St Andrew North police, love you all. Also, a special thank you to Jamaica National for securing the money for me that one time when I was almost scammed."

Hamilton also noted that today marked the final day of nine days of fasting she had gone on for the return of her pet. "God still works miracles," she noted.