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Swissvale Dog Catcher Finds Missing Service Dog For North Braddock Woman

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A service dog who had been missing since Thursday morning has been found.  The black lab was picked up by a Swissvale dog catcher and now he is back home with his owner.

He hasn't left Catherine Kimmel's side since he's been home.

"I found him. That's all that matters and he's happy," Kimmel said.

Kimmel noticed the seven-year-old black lab missing from her North Braddock home around five in the morning Thursday.  Kimmel says Zero and her German Shepherd Chase were hanging out by the front door when somehow, they got out.

Chase came back, but Zero didn't.

Turns out, a dog catcher picked him up a few miles away in Swissvale and held him at the kennel until Kimmel picked up him around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.  The dog catcher noticed KDKA's Amy Wadas' story on the news Friday night and contacted Kimmel early Saturday.

"I didn't want to get my hopes up that the dog was my dog whenever I was told the dog fit the description," Kimmel said.

Turns out, it was him.  Kimmel was surprised he ended up in Swissvale.

"He's a fit dog. He loves to run and wander around. I thought he'd at least be in North Braddock," Kimmel said.

Now she says she's not taking any risks.  Zero is a seizure alert dog and needs to be by Kimmel's side at all times.

"He has a chip in now," Kimmel said.

He can sense if Kimmel's going to have a seizure several hours before it happens.

"If I didn't have him I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things," Kimmel said.

She's grateful he's okay.

"If he would have gotten hit by a car I would have been devastated. I was devastated I couldn't find him," Kimmel said.

But now, she's content on the couch with her four-legged partner in crime right by his side.

"Both two peas in a pod," Kimmel said.

Kimmel said Zero somehow lost his collar and dog tags during his little rendezvous.  She's not taking any chances and is in the process of getting his tags replaced as soon as possible.

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