Son: Woman who found veteran's missing service dog declined reward

Owner says comfort dog disappeared on fishing trip in Palatka

PALATKA, Fla. – The son of a Putnam County military veteran said his father's missing service dog has been found safe after the community rallied to help.

Mark Musselman said he wanted to thank everyone for spreading the word and searching for "Junior."

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"Most didn't even know my father," Musselman said in an email to News4Jax. "Just good people doing good deeds. Wish there were more people like that."

Junior (pictured above) disappeared after his owner, Charles Musselman, took him fishing in Palatka. 

Charles Musselman said he was fixing a fishing line at the Browns Landing boat ramp, and when he turned around, Junior was gone.

The dog, which serves as a comfort animal for the military veteran, was found by CJ Morris.

Mark Musselman said he was touched that Morris refused to take the $500 reward his family had offered to anyone who brought Junior home.

Morris told Mark Musselman that her beagles found Junior, and he said the dogs will each be getting a prime rib steak as a reward.

He said Morris' husband came home from work at lunch to help look for Junior, even though he'd never met Musselman's father.

"I can't say enough about how the whole neighborhood where he ran off came together," he said.


About the Authors:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.