Stray dog found injured reunited with owners

NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. -- A stray dog found injured Thursday night has been reunited with his family.

Marlene and Jonathan Arriaza have Good Samaritan Joshua Kroah to thank for making this reunion possible. Kroah contacted Animal Services Thursday night after he found Casper, the bloodied canine, leaning against a fence on Ives Dairy Road near 441.

Kroah believes the dog was hit by a car. "To just know that you hit an animal and you left, it is just shocking," he said.

Casper stayed one week at Miami-Dade Animal Services' shelter in Medley, two days longer than the facility typically allows for stray dogs. "I say, thank you, Jesus, that someone found my dog," Marlene said. "This is my baby," she added, pointing at Casper.

The Arriazas picked up the canine on Friday after 7News ran the story about his rescue. "My aunt called last night saying that he was on the news," said Jonathan, "and my grandma called early in the morning to see if we could come get him today."

The Arriazas have owned Casper since he was a puppy. "He means a lot to me, I raised him," said Jonathan. "He was always crying to give him water and milk, so he means a lot to me." In an appropriate coincidence, the staff at the animal shelter gave the white dog the nickname Ghost.

Casper still has a yellow cast on one of his front legs. The owners are planning to have him checked out by a vet to determine whether his injury is more serious than a fracture.

(Copyright 2013 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)