Lake City police recover missing therapy dog

LAKE CITY, Fla. – About seven moths after a 9-year-old black lab named Hank that was a therapy dog for an autistic 15-year-old disappeared, Lake City investigators recovered and returned the dog.

The dog disappeared from a home on S.E. Castillo Terrace, and the boy's mother, Christina Christie searched the neighborhood, put up posters and used social media trying to find the dog.

Two weeks ago, Christie's children came home from school and said they had spotted their dog tied to a tree on S.E. Putnam Street, around the corner from the family home. She immediately went to the location and called Hank's name, and he responded.

Over the next week Christie tried to get with the owner and get her dog back, but when he refused, she called police and filed a report, providing specific markings on the dog as documented by Suwannee Oaks Animal Hospital records.

On Wednesday, Lt. John Stock and Sgt. Jason Byrd made contacted the property owner, who said he found the dog about seven months ago and took it in. He said he did not want to deprive the child of his therapy dog and told investigators to return it to its owner.

After recovering Hank, he was returned to his original owners. Officers said Hank got very excited when he saw his family.