Service dog stolen on BART train found safe, returned to owner

SAN BRUNO, Calif.

The dog is much more than just a 1-year-old Pomeranian, he is a registered service dog who helps owner Kerrin Lanahan deal with anxiety she's suffered ever since surviving a plane crash when she was a little girl.

The San Bruno resident says she was riding BART home with Archie from San Francisco Wednesday night when she fell asleep and someone snatched the dog.

On Monday morning she got an anonymous text pointing her to a home near the Balboa BART station. BART police showed up at the house and found Archie. They were able to confirm it was Lanahan's Pomeranian thanks to a microchip.

Lanahan spoke to ABC7 News about the happy reunion at the Powell Street station.

"It's a miracle, I can't even believe he's back, I'm overwhelmed and just so happy," she said. "That was my personal nightmare that I went through and the fact that he's back I'm just so grateful to everyone who's helped me get him back."

Lanahan has spent thousands of dollars training Archie as a comfort dog, so it was extremely important that she got him back.

BART police are questioning a person at the house where the dog was found. They say charges are pending.

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