In a note to supporters that quickly went viral, the owner of Kai -- the service dog stolen more than eight months ago -- said Wednesday morning she’s overjoyed to bring her companion home to Vista.
After the dog was found in Aubrey, Texas, a judge there ruled that Kai belonged to Alexandra Melnick, a local Marine veteran who lost him last November.
Kai is Melnick’s companion and helps her with her post-traumatic stress disorder.
Melnick brought Kai home to San Diego County late Wednesday night. She said she is not ready yet to talk with the media.
Investigators believe Kai was stolen from Melnick’s yard; Melnick said on Facebook that the dog was living with a family who had no idea about his history.
“The people who had him didn’t initially know he was missing, stolen or that I was looking,” she wrote, later noting: “There is still an investigation to be done over how he left my home and ended up in Texas.”
Melnick said she has been searching for him tirelessly – driving “thousands of miles” looking for him and scouring social media posts.
Local
She said she learned his whereabouts through poring over posts on Kai’s GoFundMe account.
Now, she said she is focusing on his health, as he has some open sores and is flea infested.
Kai also has some trust issues now, she wrote, and cowers if you move too quickly.
“Without all your donations, I wouldn’t have been able to spread the word so far and get help from professionals,” Melnick wrote. “The remaining money will be divided up between various organizations, ones that helped me find Kai and ones that help others find their missing animals.”
