Posted by Service Dog Headquarters on Aug 20th 2025
BamBam is Found! Stolen / Lost Service Dog is Reunited with Legally Blind Owner After Going Viral Causing Citywide Search
After more than two months of searching, a legally blind Chicago man is finally being reunited with his service dog according to WGN Chicago.
Service Dog Headquarters (SDHQ) has another notch to add to its list of the magical things their community can accomplish. After getting the news and multiple organizations involved, the story went viral. Now 14 year old Service Dog BAMBAM has been returned to his owner after going missing nearly 2 months ago from Chicago's Logan Square.
Angel Santiago says his 14-year-old tan and white dachshund, Bam Bam, was stolen from his backyard near Monticello and Fullerton Avenues in Logan Square on June 5.
Santiago, who is legally blind due to glaucoma, told police two unknown people entered through his gate and took the dog.
In the weeks that followed, Santiago says he walked as many as seven miles a day, handing out flyers and calling out for Bam Bam in hopes of finding him.
A GoFundMe was even started and nearly $20,000 was raised to go towards search efforts, including reward money, pet detective services, making flyers and organizing volunteer groups to canvas the area.(1)
PETA even offered $5,000 to find the dog and punish the culprit. (2)
SDHQ put a call out with the news sites, quickly getting the Service Dog community involved. Soon the whole city of Chicago was looking for this dog. SDHQ was keeping people updated on the search along the way.
READ MOST RECENT POST ON THIS STORY HERE
Now, Santiago and SDHQ’s persistence is paying off.
The dog was dropped off Tuesday night at the 16th Police District station in Jefferson Park by a man and a woman who refused to give any information to the officers and left, said a police spokesperson.
Officers noted the dog appeared to be in good health. Bam Bam’s owner, Angel Santiago, picked up the pooch at 9:30 p.m., a spokesperson said.
Bam Bam has been with the family for 13 years and is Santiago’s service and emotional support dog. Santiago, 58, is legally blind and has glaucoma and Type 2 diabetes.
John Garrido, a former police officer who has long run the Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation and helps animals dropped off at the Jefferson Park station, said he was notified about a dog at the station Tuesday. As with any stray dog that comes into the station, the foundation posted information on its Facebook page about Bam Bam in search for its owner, not realizing it was the service and emotional support dog that has captured the news and hearts of many Chicagoans in recent weeks.
Garrido was told by officers that the two people who brought in Bam Bam found him near the station in the 5600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, though details are still murky, he said.
Once owner information was found through Bam Bam’s chip, Santiago was contacted and picked up Bam Bam.
Garrido was not there for the reunion but was told Santiago was ecstatic.
“The entire city has been searching for this dog,” Garrido said. “He is safe and sound. … I am told it was a happy reunion.” (3)
Bam Bam was dropped off at the 16th District Police station Aug. 19 in good health, as seen at the Jefferson Park station before he went back home.
Check out the story on the Fox News!
Special thank you to everyone who helped get the story out! Bam Bam would not be home safe without the help of the amazing commUNITY behind us. Thank you for helping us spread good.
Bam Bam is home now! Safe and sound!
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