NYC family thought their dog, Panda, was stolen in Central Park and gone for good. See the surprise reunion.
NEW YORK -- An Upper East Side family that spent days searching for their beloved dog, who they believe was stolen in Central Park, got a surprise Sunday.
They got a phone call from someone who found their dog, Panda, minutes after sharing their distress with CBS New York.
Facebook tip leads to surprise reunion
Makiyo Davidson believes Panda was stolen while her family was enjoying an afternoon in Central Park on Wednesday.
Thirty minutes after Davidson went in front of our camera to plead for help, she and Panda were together again. Her tears of heartbreak became tears of joy when she ran out the door and saw him.
"I call his name ... he ran and came to me. I knew it was him," said Davidson.
Peter Eliopoulos, a family friend, said a tip on Facebook led him to East 14th Street near Third Avenue in Union Square.
"I wasn't even sure it was him. That's why, obviously, I had Makiyo come down," said Eliopoulos.
Who found Panda?
Kimberly Oliver and Franklin Dunham said they spotted Panda in the park the day after he went missing.
"The dog was just there," said Oliver.
"We gravitated towards him," said Dunham.
The two dog lovers bought Panda treats and cared for him for several days.
"We were scared for him because he was skinny. So we were like, we got to take care of this baby," said Oliver.
"Nobody claimed him, so we just took him," said Dunham.
Davidson, grateful for these two kind souls, said she's going to take Panda to vet to ensure he's OK.
Meanwhile, the person who took Panda from the park in the first place has not been found.