A dog which survived for five days in a locked car in Dublin by licking condensation on a window is still waiting to be reunited with its owner.

The resilient puppy was stranded when his owner forgot where he had parked his car during a shopping trip to Dublin last Friday.

A passer-by spotted the pup after an appeal was launched by the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) and he was liberated from the car, parked on the quays, shortly afterwards.

However, according to the DSPCA, the owner, who is from Monaghan, lost his bearings once again on his way to the animal shelter on Wednesday night and had to return to his home in Monaghan instead.

DSPCA education officer Gillian Bird said that the man was obviously not familiar with Dublin and that he would be returning at the earliest opportunity to claim his pet.

"He said he'd gotten lost on his way to pick the little dog up but that he'd be back to get him as soon as he could.

"We didn't get the chance to ask what the puppy's name was, so we still don't know what he's called."

Rescuers said he was hungry, thirsty and cold when they broke the window to free him.

"The puppy is doing fine now -- he survived by licking the condensation on the windows.

"He's lost a good bit of weight but he was already quite a solid dog so he'll be ok," said Ms Bird.

His owner contacted Dublin gardai and the DSPCA when he failed to locate his car and a city-wide campaign was instigated to find the lost puppy.

Daniel Duggin, from Balbriggan, north Co Dublin, was on his way home from work in Glasnevin when he pulled up beside a car matching the description released on the radio.

"I got out of my car and I was looking at the puppy jumping around in the car thinking, 'ah, what a cute puppy'.

"Then the penny dropped," he said.

Ms Bird says that it was an extraordinary incident that helps to highlight the crucial role that the public can play in the work of the DSPCA.

"It's all about noticing things and having the guts to report them," she added.