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Autistic boy reunited with stolen dog after mother's viral campaign

The dog was, ironically, found near the head office of a dog food company.

AN EIGHT-YEAR-old autistic boy in Tyrone has been reunited with his beloved pet Labrador after a Facebook campaign started by his mother went viral.

TJ Early was heartbroken when his best friend Bane was stolen from the family’s garden on Friday. His mother Stacey said they went out at 11am and when they returned at 1pm the dog was gone and there were footprints on the outside of the garden fence where it looked like someone had jumped over to take him.

At the time she said:

How could anyone steal a kind family pet who was loved by a little 8-year-old boy. It’s the only thing he has in the world as he has special needs he can’t go out and play on the street . Him and the dog are best friends. He is devastated.

Please Help Find Bane Please Help Find Bane

A campaign she launched on Facebook to help raise awareness garnered a lot of attention, with more than 5,000 likes on the page this evening.

At 10am this morning she posted photos of the happy pair, reunited after a trying 72 hours apart.

Help Find Bane Help Find Bane

“I cannot describe how we are feeling right now, it was a very long 72 hours,” Stacey said.

She also thanked the owners of the Blue Grass Dog Food company who spotted the dog and got in touch with the family.

As for TJ, his beaming smile speaks for itself:

Please Help Find Bane Please Help Find Bane

Read: Restaurant apologises for calling child’s assistance dog ‘smelly’>

Read: Remember Toby, the autism companion dog? He’s been found and is back with his owner>

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