An early-morning assault and dog theft ended happily Thursday, when police nabbed at least one of the alleged miscreants and reunited the pets with their guardian.

Two suspects, an 18-year-old man and a man in his 20s attacked a 53-year-old man as he walked his dogs at 2:45 this morning, according to the San Francisco Police department.

As the dog walker took his pooches down the first block of Turk Street, near Market Street, the duo allegedly punched the man in his face, "which caused [him] to drop the leashes of his two dogs."

The 18-year-old grabbed the leashes and took off with the dogs, police say, fleeing on foot with his accomplice and a third woman in her 20s.

After speaking with the victim, who received minor injuries in the assault but declined to go to the hospital, police say that they were able to track down the 18-year-old suspect.

The suspect still had the purloined pooches in his possession, police say. He was arrested on the spot, and the dogs were returned to their rightful owner.