Boy reunited with therapy dog that went missing for 12 days

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It’s a happy reunion between an 11-year-old Concord boy and his therapy dog that went missing for 12 days. The family never lost hope the dog would be found.

Carson Bates is grateful his Springer Spaniel is back home. The two inseparable since Finn is his therapy dog after the Carson was diagnosed with “Vanishing Twin Syndrome,” after losing his twin in his mother's womb.

“I’m just hyped, happy, everything I’m just happy that we found him and that's his alive,” said Carson Bates.

The family considers it a miracle. On April 1, Finn went missing after the family left for an unexpected trip. They came home to discover he pushed open the side gate and hadn't returned.

“I was worried the entire time. I didn't give up all my hope. I always had that some little bit,” said Carson Bates.

There were several sightings of Finn throughout the neighborhood including at the former Naval Weapons Station, a restricted area. The family believes the dog crawled through a hole in the fence and they even flew a drone to find him but no luck.

“We were getting spotty sightings every few days,” said Father Matthew Bates. “You would see turkeys or something but no dog. When we finally got him today it was pretty miraculous.”

After an exhaustive search, an alert neighbor ultimately spotted Finn along a creek, two miles away from the Bates home.

“It was emotional,” said Matthew Bates. “He was covered in a blanket. He was very wet and muddy. I was just very happy to see him.”

Whimpering and unable to bark, they took Finn to a vet, where he was reunited with fifth grader Carson.

Finn is 10 pounds lighter with a fever and a swollen paw. Carson is happy for the first night in awhile, the two are able to sleep soundly together.

“He’s basically my everything,” said Carson Bates. “He's basically all my heart is. He broke my heart and made it bigger.”