Blind man walks 7 miles daily in desperate search for stolen service dog — strangers raise $10k to help bring her home

One man’s tireless search for his missing pet ignites nationwide compassion and action.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L) A blind man sitting in the park with his dog; (R) A flyer of a missing dog. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) RgStudio; (R) StockSeller_ukr)

Pets are more than just animals; they are family, companions, and in many cases, a source of emotional strength. When one goes missing, the loss can be devastating. That’s exactly what happened in Chicago, where the search for a missing dog has grown into a movement of compassion and community support. As reported by Fox 32 Chicago, Angel Santiago, a legally blind man from the Logan Square neighborhood, has been searching tirelessly for his 14-year-old emotional support dog, Bam Bam.

Man trying to take away a pet dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Lord Henri Voton)

On June 5, while Bam Bam, the senior dachshund mix, was briefly outside in the yard, two individuals allegedly came onto Angel Santiago’s property in the 2300 block of North Monticello Avenue. Santiago tried to stop them, but says he was unable to. Since that day, he’s been walking miles daily, passing out flyers and waiting outside Tony’s Fresh Market, hoping someone has seen his dog. People from across the U.S., including places like Texas and California, have since reached out, offering their support and help.

A blind man with his pet dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | prostooleh)

Santiago, who is blind due to glaucoma and Type 2 diabetes, says the kindness he’s received has been overwhelming. “I never really thought that people like her, and the rest of Chicago would even do this for me, let alone a blind person,” he told Fox 32. “But it makes me feel really happy inside that I do got people that want to help and are backing me up.” Despite offers of money and even replacement dogs, Santiago remains focused on finding Bam Bam, saying he doesn’t want a different dog; he just wants his dog back.

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One of the many people touched by his story is Amy Paslich, who saw the report on social media. “I couldn’t make it through my workout. I ended up leaving in the middle of class and walking home,” she said. “I felt devastated learning about this story. I called my mom, and I knew that I needed to do something, so I reached out to Angel.” Paslich started a GoFundMe that has already raised over $10,000 and teamed up with local dog search experts to help the cause. Her message to the person who may have Bam Bam is heartfelt, “At least try and take care of him as best as you can. If you want to give them back, please, by all means, you can call where you can set up a drop of Bam Bam, and we’ll be there, no questions asked, and we will take him home."

A thief's hand stealing a dog in a park. (Representative Image Source: Getty | Manuel-F-O)

Bam Bam, who has a one-inch dark brown patch on his forehead, is still missing. A $1,000 reward is being offered for his safe return, and animal rights group PETA has added a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to Bam Bam’s return and the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Bam Bam is one of the many pets that get stolen each year. According to a troubling statistic by the Animal Humane Society, it is believed that around one in every three pets will go missing at some point in their lives. In the U.S. alone, this adds up to nearly 10 million lost pets every year. According to another report by Ashton Animal Hospital, in many cases, dog thieves go after purebred dogs. French Bulldogs are one of the most common targets because they are both expensive and small enough to carry. Mixed breeds like Labradoodles, often called designer dogs, are also very popular with thieves.