Bam Bam with his owner's son, on his way to being returned.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/ Bill Sarai

A man who lost his dog has been reunited with his furry friend, all thanks to some Kamloops residents who stepped up to lend a hand.

Kamloops City Councillor Bill Sarai said he was walking in Brocklehurst Saturday morning when he came across an elderly man in distress.

"I couldn’t make out what he was saying because he was crying so bad," he said. 

The man explained that on May 8 he had lost his dog and he and his son were looking for him.

Because neither of them were ib social media and were new to Kamloops, Sarai posted photos of the dog, Bam Bam, to Facebook on their behalf.

Around 2 p.m. Sarai received a message from a local woman who had seen a dog that looked like Bam Bam in a backyard behind her property. 

"As soon as I saw that, I went 'holy crap, I hope this is it,'" Sarai said.

He notified Kamloops RCMP of the situation and met the elderly man's son at the residence to wait for police, he said. 

A neighbour confirmed that a dog matching Bam Bam's description was in the backyard, and allowed the two men to take a look from his back porch.

RCMP officers arrived, and after receiving no answer at the door, went into the backyard to call Bam Bam. 

A Kamloops RCMP officer returned the dog to his owner.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/ Bill Sarai

"The dog came and jumped on the officer and gave him a hug," Sarai said. "The officer was more than happy to return him to his owner."

After officers knocked on the door a second time, a woman answered and said they she found the dog and had been calling the SPCA trying to find the owner. 

Sarai isn't entirely convinced. While the SPCA has been difficult to reach by phone since the pandemic, Sarai said the owner's number was on the dog tag. 

Sarai accompanied the man's son when he returned Bam Bam to his father.

"This man was on his knees crying," Sarai said. "It was great."

He said that finding Bam Bam began with simply being in the right place at the right time.

"Everything happened for a reason," he said. "The community and neighbourhood, the police all working together. And that's what made this story so good."

To contact a reporter for this story, email Brie Welton or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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