Maximilliano Cardozo’s charges dropped after alleged Bowie ‘dognapping’

A Gold Coast family have described their “days of anguish” when their beloved blind pet was allegedly stolen, after charges against the man embroiled in the suspected “dognapping” were dropped.

Charges against a man embroiled in the alleged “dognapping” of beloved blind pooch Bowie have been dropped - an outcome that has disappointed the dog’s owners.

Maximilliano Cardozo was charged after the alleged theft of the vision-impaired Australian shepherd from the Durman family’s Gold Coast home in July last year, which took the treasured pet hundreds of kilometres away into NSW.

Kristy Durmans dog, Bowie, who was stolen from their Southport home on Wednesday - Photo Supplied

More than a year after Bowie was reunited with his family and months after Cardozo was charged, the legal chapter of the saga came to an abrupt end in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Cardozo’s charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and enter dwelling and commit were both dismissed by magistrate Nerida Wilson on mental health grounds.

The 49-year-old declined to comment on his case outside of court, saying only “No, thank you” as reporters peppered him with questions about the reported “dognapping”.

Maximilliano Cardozo leaving court. Picture: Jessica Paul

The Durman family expressed their disappointment at the outcome in a statement released on Thursday.

“Obviously we are disappointed (and) frustrated by the news,” they said.

“It was four days of anguish wondering if we’d ever see Bowie again.”

It was reported at the time that the Durmans arrived home from a holiday to find their house in disarray and Bowie and their Hyundai Tucson missing, along with a range of sentimental items.

The search for Bowie made national headlines and the pet was within days tracked down in northern NSW, following a public appeal by police and the release of CCTV footage.

Toni Fuller Imagery

Luke Durman and his son Leo - Photo Steve Pohlner

Cardozo was soon arrested near Macksville, and Luke Durman and his son Leo made the hours-long drive to be reunited with their beloved Bowie.

Cardozo was charged in NSW and at first unable to be brought to Queensland – where he would face more serious charges – until the matter was resolved.

However Cardozo was arrested at Southport – not far from the Durmans’ home – and charged at the end of last year, after police discovered he had returned to the Gold Coast.

Durman said at the time it was “unsettling” to learn the then-suspected “dognapper” had been arrested so close by, and that their family had since invested more than $20,000 into a state-of-the-art home security system.

“It was a bit concerning,” he said.

Cardozo remains on bail.

Originally published as Maximilliano Cardozo’s charges dropped after alleged Bowie ‘dognapping’