May 17, 2009 3:51 pm US/Central
Police Dog 'Bear' Found
Partner Relieved After Good Samaritan Spotted Pooch Near Evergreen Cemetery
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Bear the Chicago Police Dog jumped a fence during a thunderstorm Wednesday night and escaped. He was reunited with his partner Sunday after a good Samaritan located Bear near a South Side cemetery.
CBS
A Chicago police dog is back home – safe and sound.
Bear vanished on Wednesday. Police say he scaled a fence and took off after being scared by thunder.
CBS 2'S Suzanne Le Mignot reports on his relieved human partner.
Detective Rick King, Bear's owner, is finally reunited with his K-9 partner Bear. King says a clap of thunder frightened the narcotics dog so badly, he jumped a fence at King's home and darted off into the night. The police narcotics dog had been missing for three days.
He said it's a relief to be able to hold Bear again.
"Oh…it's a relief," he said. "I wasn't sure we were ever going to find him. I can't believe he's been out in the street that long. As many eyes as we had looking for him, that he wasn't picked up. He's a survivor, I guess. A little thin, but we'll fix that."
King has a good Samaritan named Howard Overton to thank for getting Bear back into his arms. Overton spotted Bear, along the tracks at 87th and Central Park Avenue. Right after that, Bear ran into Evergreen Cemetery.
"He looked up at me, with the ears up like that and I said, 'oh, that looks like the police dog,'" Overton said.
Overton quickly waved down officer Ann Jaros, telling her to follow Bear.
"After about five minutes of me coercing him to come to me, he finally came over to me, which I grabbed his chain and that's when I radioed and asked for an assist," Jaros said. "And Evergreen Park came with the chip reader and scanned the dog's neck and that's how we found out it was Bear."
Det. King says he's grateful to Overton and for the media coverage that brought Bear home.
"Animal lovers will know what I'm talking about; they are like your children," King said. "Even more so, because you feel like they're innocent."
After a vet check, Bear will be back at work. K-9 dogs help the Chicago police bring in millions of dollars in narcotics and transaction money each year.
Bear's first meal, was a hamburger from Burger King. Meantime, the good Samaritan who found him, will be entitled to receiving the $2,000 reward that was offered for Bear's safe return.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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