A Chicago man's support dog was stolen. Now the internet is desperate to bring 14-year-old dachshund mix Bam Bam home.

Yahoo

a day ago

Owner Angel Santiago lost his sight entirely nearly three years ago and is asking for people to be on the lookout for Bam Bam.
A stolen dog in Chicago is breaking hearts across the internet, and now there are rewards for information leading to the pup's safe return.
On June 5, Bam Bam, a 14-year-old dachshund mix emotional support dog, was taken from his owner's backyard in the Chicago neighborhood of Logan Square, per reporting from Fox 32 Chicago.
Angel Santiago, who is legally blind due to progressive glaucoma, had let Bam Bam out in the backyard to go to the bathroom when he heard two people enter. Santiago attempted to grab one of the suspects, but was unable to hold on to them. Santiago then said he heard Bam Bam barking, but that the sound got softer as the suspects, at least one of whom Santiago believes is a teenager who was wearing a long-sleeved shirt at the time, fled with the dog. It's unclear to Santiago if the individuals who seemingly took Bam Bam are men or women.
Since then, there have been no leads on who took Bam Bam. Santiago, who also lives with diabetes and became completely blind nearly three years ago, now walks up to seven miles a day searching for his beloved dog, with volunteers also joining the search. He has also put up posters and stood outside of local grocery store Tony's Fresh Market with Bam Bam's leash and collar in hopes someone will come forward with information about the dog's whereabouts.
"Bam Bam means the world to me and I feel my body draining away. I can only do so much. I promised that I will keep walking and walking, yelling his name out,' Santiago told Fox 32 Chicago. 'But if you could just help me with your own eyes and see if you could spot him for me. Let your eyes be mine and look out for Bam Bam for me please. I beg of you to help me.'
The world wants to help Bam Bam come home
Though Fox 32 Chicago reports that Santiago has denied any financial help, stating he just wants to bring Bam Bam home, a GoFundMe was started to provide aid in the search for Santiago's dog.
Santiago is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to Bam Bam's return. PETA is also offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the safe return of Bam Bam.
And now, social media is spreading the word about Bam Bam as well.
'I mean this in the most disrespectful way possible: Whoever has Bam Bam, you better give him back right now,' one TikToker said in a recent video.
'What kind of evil person steals a dog from a blind person?' another asked in a video. 'Who steals a service dog? That is a working dog. Why would you steal it? That is insane to me. You deserve to be in jail.'
Others have shared Santiago's missing poster, which includes a phone number people can call. Unfortunately, Santiago said he has only received fake tips and spam calls thus far.
If you have any more information on Bam Bam, call 866-597-2424, the number for 24PetWatch, a recovery service for missing pets. Authorities recommend not to call his name or chase him; instead, you can lure him with a treat or contact the Chicago Police at 312-746-6000.
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