Service Dog Reunited with Veteran Owner After Car Theft and Heated Police Chase

Mar. 15, 2025

Missing dog Chico.Photo:Hammond Police Department/Facebook

Hammond Police Department/Facebook

A missing service dog has reunited with his owner after a car theft.

Chico was inside the vehicle at the time of the theft.

According to asocial media postfrom the Livingston Parrish Sheriff’s Office, who assisted in stopping the vehicle, the suspected thief engaged in a vehicle pursuit and fired at deputies.

Chico was not inside the vehicle during the chase, but the collar was, per anupdatefrom officials.

Sheriff Jason Ard of the Livingston Parrish Sheriff’s Office said in astatementthat the vehicle “was eventually stopped at the Holden on ramp where the suspect was taken into custody without incident."

The firearm used in the incident was located near the Red Oak overpass, Ard added.

Missing dog Chico.Hammond Police Department/Facebook

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The suspect has been processed into the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, according to the Livingston Parrish Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.

PEOPLE reached out to the Hammond Police Department and the Livingston Parrish Sheriff’s Office for additional information but did not immediately hear back.

Local news outletAN-17reports that the dog owner, a veteran, was separated from his service dog for “more than 18 hours” during the incident. When Chico was not located in the vehicle, people in the community reportedly began to share photos of the pup online.

The outlet reports that Chico was seen around 2 p.m. local time the day after going missing. It is unclear where the dog was located.

Hammond Police confirmed that Chico was found safe and returned to his owner.

source: people.com