Long Is. police pounding the pavement to find the poor purloined Pomeranian pooch

Police are hunting a ponytailed grinch caught on camera snatching a stranger’s Pomeranian pup from outside a Long Island convenience store on Christmas Eve, Nassau County cops said Tuesday.

The dog was sitting outside the A&Y Grill and Convenience Corp. on Woodfield Road in Lakeview when it was was snatched by the callous crook in a puffy beige vest about 1 p.m. Friday, police said. The dog’s leash was tied to the store’s gate as its owner shopped inside.

The dognapper pulled up in a black BMW SUV and first stopped in front of a spa next door to the convenience store, surveillance video released by the Nassau County Police Department shows.

He opened the door to the spa, asked a worker inside if they were open, then nonchalantly walked over to the defenseless dog.

The Pomeranian barked at the stranger as he approached but fell silent when the crook untied its leash and scooped it up.

The thief put the Pomeranian under his arm as he walked back to his vehicle and tossed the dog on the back seat before driving off, the surveillance video shows.

When the dog’s owner finished shopping he found his pet gone and called police.

The missing pooch’s name, age and gender were not immediately released.

Nassau County cops on Tuesday released surveillance images of the theft in the hopes that someone recognizes the Pomeranian pincher, who is about 5-feet-9. He was wearing beige pants and a beige sweater under his vest and has a distinctive long braided ponytail reaching past his waist.

Anyone with information was asked to call Nassau County police at (800) 244-TIPS or (516) 573-6553. All calls will be kept confidential.