Viral photo reunites dog in shelter with owner

Homeless man gets dog back because of a stranger's kindness

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – A homeless man in California is with his best friend again...man's best friend, that is.

Dave Thomas' pup Buzz Lightyear was brought to the San Bernardino shelter after Thomas was arrested for failing to appear in court for a traffic violation.

When Thomas got out, he only had $6 in his pocket, but the shelter required $400 to get Buzz out. While visiting Buzz, shelter photographer Maria Sanchez snapped the above photo, capturing a touching moment between the man and his dog.

Sanchez posted it on Facebook, and as of Tuesday night, had raised more than $2,000 to help Thomas out.

Thomas went to pick up the newly-neutered Buzz on Wednesday, and you can see in the video just how happy they were.

Thomas said he was grateful for all the support, and that he intended to take Buzz to the park to run around, and get him his favorite snack--Cheetos.


About the Author

Tara Evans is an executive producer and has been with News 6 since January 2013. She currently spearheads News 6 at Nine and specializes in stories with messages of inspiration, hope and that make a difference for people -- with a few hard-hitting investigations thrown in from time to time.