Sheriff's Deputy Reunites Service Dog With Owner

CANTON, GA -- A deputy with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office recently used his spare time to track down a service dog that ran away when the vehicle it was occupying was involved in an accident.

The accident, which involved an overturned vehicle, took place in late July in the Free Home community of Cherokee County.

The service dog in training was ejected from the vehicle during the crash, the sheriff's office said on its Facebook page.

Deputy Joseph Testa responded to the accident, and the driver of the vehicle was transported to an area hospital for treatment. However, the service dog, Samantha, could not be located at the scene.

One of the dog trainers also responded to the scene, and walked the area for more than two hours in an effort to find Samantha. The trainer was unsuccessful, so she called 911 and met with a sergeant to provide more details and a photo of the lost pup.

The responding deputy also didn't give up hope. Testa, who works the night shift, kept returning to the scene of the accident in his quest to find Samantha.

As luck would have it, Samantha eventually turned up.

"The dog was not injured, but was apparently scared after being ejected from the car," the sheriff's office said.

Samantha was reunited with the trainers, and she is now safe with her owner.

Moved by Testa going above and beyond his role as a public servant, the trainers and the dog owner last week brought food to the sheriff's office's Free Home Precinct and fed the night shift.

Of course, Samantha and Testa used the opportunity to meet and greet each other once again, the sheriff's office said.

See also:

• Canton Officers Buy Food For Children Going Hungry

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Image via Cherokee Sheriff's Office