Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: ‘The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog’

Credibility:

  • Original Reporting
  • Sources Cited
Original Reporting This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter(s). This includes directly interviewing sources and research/analysis of primary source documents.
Sources Cited As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom.
Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: 'The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog'
Angel Santiago and Bam Bam were reunited Aug. 19, 2025 at the Jefferson Park police station. Credit: Provided/GoFundMe

LOGAN SQUARE — Bam Bam, a beloved 14-year-old dachshund stolen from his Logan Square yard two months ago, is finally back home.

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.

“What matters most is that Angel and Bam Bam are safe and together again,” a spokesperson for Santiago said.

Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: 'The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog'
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. Credit: Provided

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.

There is no one in custody, and detectives are investigating, police said.

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.”

Santiago did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Bam Bam united the city in a desperate search for the pup, with hundreds of people donating their time and money to rescue him.

Organizers helping Santiago organized two flyer events over the weekend and canvassed parts of Logan Square, Humboldt Park and Lincoln Park.

Nearly $20,000 has been raised through a fundraiser for Santiago and Bam Bam’s search efforts, and a $5,000 reward was attached to Bam Bam’s safe return, though it’s unclear if the people who dropped off the dog will be rewarded as they did not identify themselves.

Animal advocacy group PETA — which had offered the $5,000 reward — said it will update its billboards about Bam Bam to inform people the pup is now safely home and to thank those who helped search for him.

“Working for this reunion brought out the best in the community, and it reminds us all to never be silent, as speaking up when an animal is in danger can save a life,” a PETA spokesperson said.

Check out more photos from the reunion here:

Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: 'The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog'
Angel Santiago was reunited with his support dog Bam Bam Tuesday at the Jefferson Park District police station. Credit: Chicago Police Department
Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: 'The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog'
Angel Santiago was reunited with his support dog Bam Bam Tuesday at the Jefferson Park District police station. Credit: Chicago Police Department
Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: 'The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog'
Angel Santiago was reunited with his support dog Bam Bam Tuesday at the Jefferson Park District police station. Credit: Chicago Police Department

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:

 

Related Posts

🔥 EXCLUSIVE 37-Year-Old Woman, Relative Of Cowboys Player, Fatally Shot By ICE In Minneapolis—Questions Fly Over Use Of Force And Accountability, Social Media Explodes. [Full VIDEO of the incident]..ll 👇👇👇

37-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Related to Dallas Cowboys Player Fatally Shot by ICE Agent in Minneapolis: Incident Sparks Controversy MINNEAPOLIS — A shocking shooting occurred in Minneapolis on…

🔥 EXCLUSIVE 37-Year-Old Woman, Relative Of L.A. Dodgers Player, Fatally Shot By ICE In Minneapolis—Questions Fly Over Use Of Force And Accountability, Social Media Explodes. [Full VIDEO of the incident]..ll 👇👇👇

37-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Related to L.A. Dodgers Player Fatally Shot by ICE Agent in Minneapolis: Incident Sparks Controversy MINNEAPOLIS — A shocking shooting occurred in Minneapolis on…

🚨 OMBSHELL $72 million? “keep it!” the nfl’s hottest coaching commodity shocks the league by turning down the titans and falcons, choosing instead to stay with the patriots for a lifelong promise sending shockwaves through every timeline as fans, analysts, and rivals scramble to process the blockbuster decision..ll 👇👇👇

Josh McDaniels Rejects $72 Million Offers to Stay With Patriots: A Lesson in Vision Over Money In an NFL landscape increasingly dominated by money, prestige, and short-term…

🟢 BREAKING shohei ohtani buys the very public baseball field where he first swung a bat not to name it, privatize it, or make it exclusive, but to create otani futures, a multi-million dollar academy bringing baseball and education to kids who never had the chance from practicing by the river in iwate to stardom on the world’s biggest stages ohtani overcame adversity and now opens doors for the next generation no fancy lounges, no exclusive memberships just opportunity and hope..ll 👇👇👇

Shohei Ohtani Turns Childhood Field into Baseball Academy for Underserved Youth Shohei Ohtani has once again reminded the world why his influence extends far beyond the diamond….

🕊️ confirm new york mets community united in grief as heartbreaking reports reveal the passing of a beloved young staff member. the loss sends shockwaves through the organization and across the mlb family as sorrow disbelief and tributes flood every timeline. this tragedy goes far beyond baseball and fans everywhere are searching for ways to honor a life taken far too soon..ll 👇👇👇

BREAKING NEWS: The New York Mets community is in mourning following the tragic loss of a beloved 16-year-old staff member, a heartbreaking event that has sent shockwaves…

🕊️ confirm dallas cowboys community united in grief as heartbreaking reports reveal the passing of a beloved young staff member. the loss sends shockwaves through the organization and across the nfl family as sorrow disbelief and tributes flood every timeline. this tragedy goes far beyond football and fans everywhere are searching for ways to honor a life taken far too soon..ll 👇👇👇

BREAKING NEWS: The Dallas Cowboys community is in mourning after the tragic loss of a beloved 16-year-old staff member, a heartbreaking event that has sent shockwaves throughout…