Bedbug-detection dogs missing after a vehicle they were in was stolen from the parking lot of a Winnipeg hotel have been found, said police on Monday.

Jim Artibello, owner of A-Scent K-9 Detection Services, is happy to be reunited with his dogs.

"They're like my kids," he said.

The Ontario business man is in Winnipeg working with the dogs to sniff out bedbugs.

At around 6:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 19, officers were called to an area of Parkville Drive for a report of several dogs in a yard in south Winnipeg.

Officers recovered eight dogs at that property.

Soon after finding the dogs, police learned a vehicle had been stolen from the parking lot of a hotel in the 2900 block of Pembina Highway. The vehicle contained a total of 10 dogs owned by Artibello.

The animals are believed to have been let out shortly after the vehicle was stolen.

Five of the dogs sniff out bedbugs, three others sniff out drugs and two are puppies being trained.

Two dogs were still missing, after the others were found in the Parkville Drive yard.

Police issued a call for help finding the animals around 10 a.m. Shortly before noon, they announced the animals had been found.

Dave Reimer located the last two dogs in his neighbour’s backyard on the corner of Moore and Dunkirk.

He knew they didn't belong to his neighbour and thought they were strays.

He said they seemed friendly but timid.

He fed them some sausage and called animal services, which came and picked them up.

The province said Manitoba Housing has been using Artibello's company.

“Manitoba Housing has used this company on a regular basis for some time now, to inspect various apartments and apartment buildings that we own in Winnipeg and in other areas,” said the province in a statement.

“The specially-trained dogs can confirm that live bedbugs are present or confirm that our methods of treatment have eradicated the nuisance pest. Their 90 per cent plus success rate has allowed us to pinpoint live bedbugs much more quickly and accurately than relying on human inspection alone.”

Due to the training involved, each cost costs about $10,000.

At 4:20 p.m. yesterday afternoon, officers also located the stolen 2003 GMC ambulance-style vehicle.

It had been abandoned and parked at the rear of the 400 block of Young Street.

- with files from Alesia Fieldberg