Chicago man reunites with stolen support dog Bam Bam

Bam Bam is home.

The 14-year-old dachshund captured hearts and minds around the globe after he’d been reported stolen in June from Angel Santiago, his Logan Square owner. Santiago is legally blind because of glaucoma and relied on Bam Bam as an emotional support dog.

The pair were reunited Tuesday night, police said, after a man and woman dropped Bam Bam off at the Chicago police 16th District station. Officers said the dog appeared in good health. Detectives are still investigating the theft, and no one is in custody.

Santiago told the Tribune Wednesday morning he thanked God for being reunited with his beloved Bam Bam.

“I prayed every day and night,” he said.

Bam Bam was stolen from Santiago’s yard the night of June 5, according to police. The news of the theft went viral on social media, and a GoFundMe created to help fund the search for Bam Bam raised nearly $20,000. Santiago told the Tribune he’d received calls of support from as far away as Spain and New Zealand.

Santiago said he walked up to 7 miles a day looking for his dog, who he relies on to provide some visual aid, such as helping him avoid potholes.

“No matter how many times I fall … I always get up,” Santiago said, kissing Bam Bam on the neck.

Michael Davis, who runs Best Furry Friend Pet Rescue and Discovery based in McHenry County, said it’s “miraculous” that after more than two months, Santiago and Bam Bam were back together. In many cases, lost or stolen pets never make it back to their owners, Davis said.

The first 24 hours are most critical after a dog goes missing, he said. The longer pets are separated from their owners, the more likely they are to enter “survival mode,” rendering them more skittish and less likely to interact with people.

Stolen pet cases such as Bam Bam’s are a “whole different scenario” from lost pets because of human involvement, Davis said. People steal dogs for myriad reasons, including to resell or use as bait in fighting rings. That means stolen dogs can end up in more distant and less predictable places than lost ones, Davis added.

Still, in both situations, it’s important to get the word out fast, both online and around the neighborhood.

“Everybody was looking for that dog at that point,” Davis said. “If anybody thought they could hold onto that dog and not have a friend, family member, a neighbor spot it and make a call, they would be naive. This was the best thing that could’ve happened, to have it posted all over the news.”

Santiago said the fact Bam Bam was microchipped aided their reunification. The process safely implants a device the size of a rice grain into a pet, said Celene Mielcarek, head of program operations at PAWS Chicago.

Pet microchips aren’t GPS tracking devices, Mielcarek said, but they can help locate a missing or stolen pet’s owner when scanned by law enforcement or a veterinarian.

By Wednesday afternoon, Bam Bam was at the Niles Animal Hospital to be assessed.

The pooch is “really skinny,” Santiago said as veterinarians looked over the dog. Bam Bam’s nails were also overgrown when the two reconnected Tuesday night.

Aside from minor heart and liver issues that seemed to have developed after Bam Bam was stolen, the dog came back from his vet exam with a “clean bill of health,” Santiago said.

Santiago said he’s worried about his dog’s psychological well-being. Bam Bam isn’t as “spunky” as he was before and seems to be having trouble sleeping with the lights off, Santiago said.

Nonetheless, Santiago said he’s grateful to people from around the world who supported his search for Bam Bam. That includes the two people who dropped Santiago’s companion off at the police station Tuesday, whom he said he hopes to meet someday.

“Bam Bam is my world,” Santiago said. “He is my lifesaver. I just wish I could hug everybody who thought of Bam Bam.”

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Now back with his darling dachshund, Santiago said he’s looking forward to a staycation with Bam Bam. They’ll watch “Paw Patrol” and other doggy movies and shows, Santiago said.

“It’s his time,” Santiago said, cradling Bam Bam. “He needs to be home and secure and loved.”