Puppies stolen in Melbourne, man arrested

A man has been arrested after he allegedly dognapped a litter of puppies from a Melbourne house.

The seven American staffy puppies were taken from the Mooroolbark house on Friday afternoon along with a mini-bike, police say.

A 40-year-old Bayswater man has been arrested over the theft and is being interviewed by police.

The owner of the eight-week-old canines took to social media to thank police for finding them.

"My babies have all been returned safely!" Haylee Gard said on Facebook.