CLEVELAND - After five nerve-wracking days, a Cleveland man whose therapy dog was stolen during a carjacking was overjoyed to learn that his beloved companion had been found.
Andrew Wright wept as he picked up his dog Polo at the kennel on Wednesday after a WJW viewer recognized the Havanese from the news. "I have my Polo, thank you very much," Wright said. "And thank all the viewers for their support and their prayers. You guys are awesome."
Wright had asked for help finding the Havanese purebred who alerts him if he is about to suffer a seizure.
Polo is back at home, but Wright said he's still looking for a puppy that was also taken when a thief stole his car early Friday at a gas station.
The car was equipped with OnStar and was later recovered by police, but the puppy, known as Baby Girl, is still missing. A devastated Wright told WJW Tuesday night, "It's hurting, it's hurting every minute. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I hear [them] crying."
Fortunately, Polo was spotted on Tuesday wandering in a neighborhood on Cleveland's east side, about eight miles away from where Andrew's car was stolen.
WJW viewer Mariah Singleton said, "We paused the TV and then we were looking and then when he called him by his real name, he started listening and stuff. So that's how we knew it was probably his dog.”
She says Polo had been following one of her neighbors around. She thought the dog was a stray that needed a home.
But Singleton contacted WJW and Cleveland Police after she realized that Polo was one of the dogs Wright had been searching for.
"I feel good, I'm happy he's home," said Singleton. When he learned about Singleton’s role in reuniting him with his dog, Wright said, "Thank you for having a heart, thank God for opening your heart to call."
Wright is now hoping that someone out there will spot the puppy that is still missing.
But for now, he says the return of Polo has renewed his faith in the goodness of people.
"That's community, you guys helped us, you're helping people, this is what we need,” said Wright.
