Chicago police reported that a man and woman brought a small white-and-yellow dachshund mix to the 16th District station on Tuesday evening. Officers quickly confirmed it was Bam Bam, the 14-year-old service dog who had gone missing from Angel Santiago’s backyard on June 5.
Santiago, who is legally blind as a result of glaucoma and Type 2 diabetes, rushed to the station and was reunited with his beloved companion around 9:30 p.m.
The disappearance of Bam Bam had touched people far beyond Chicago. Santiago’s story drew nationwide attention, with strangers donating more than $10,000 through GoFundMe, while volunteers passed out flyers, organized search efforts, and flooded social media in hopes of bringing the dog home.
Police said Bam Bam seemed to be in overall good health when he was found. He was later examined at Niles Animal Hospital, where veterinarians gave him a clean bill of health aside from slightly overgrown nails and an enlarged heart — a condition that can be common in his breed.
Animal rights group PETA, which had offered a $5,000 reward for Bam Bam’s return, announced plans to celebrate the reunion by putting up billboards across Chicago.
For now, the circumstances remain unclear. The two individuals who dropped Bam Bam off declined to provide any details before leaving the station, and five detectives are still working to uncover how the service dog ended up there.
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