Heartbroken Family Gets Life-Changing News 10 Days After Beloved Dog Vanishes — The Reunion Will Leave You Teary-Eyed Happy

Quick Smiles:

• Australian shepherd Fig bolted during Fourth of July fireworks, leaving her family devastated and searching for days
• Dedicated Sergeant spent 10 days tracking down leads until he finally located the missing pup
• Bodycam footage captures the tear-jerking moment Fig leaps from the police cruiser straight into her family’s arms

Kattie Cassaday’s family adores their Australian shepherd, Fig. During a 2026 Fourth of July celebration, Fig became spooked by fireworks and took off. Sadly, she was too quick for her family to catch, and they worried they might never see Fig again.

Even so, Kattie made a report with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department hoping someone might see Fig and return her. She told ABC News she drove for miles looking and posted flyers, not wanting to give up hope.

“I felt like, she’s out there. I know she’s out there if I could just find her.”

Enter Tulare County Sergeant Ricky Morley, who took the case to heart. For more than a week, he followed every lead, determined to bring Fig home.

“I was able to get some good information, and that was able to lead me out to the person who located Fig,” Sergeant Morley told ABC News.

Kattie had the same good feeling from the start.

“As soon as I talked to Sergeant Morley, I just knew this person is gonna find my dog, and I’m so grateful.”

More Than a Week Later, the Tulare County Sergeant Showed Up with Good News

Bodycam footage shows Morley pull up to Kattie’s home, and the next thing she knew, Fig jumped out of his cruiser. The emotional reunion is pure sunshine — Fig’s tail wagging uncontrollably as she leaps into her family’s waiting arms.

“The feeling’s awesome,” Morley said.

“I’ve been doing this for about 20 years and just to have a good story with a happy ending, that’s worth it right there.”

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office shared the bodycam footage on social media, and the response has been overwhelming.

“Community policing is about more than making arrests. It’s about serving our community in every way we can, including helping reunite families with the pets they love. Welcome home, Fig.”

Followers loved seeing Fig back with her family, flooding the comments with heart emojis and grateful messages.

“I almost didn’t read this, because if it ended with something horrific happening to the dog, I couldn’t stand it. So happy now,” someone wrote.

This wholesome story is proof that good still exists — and that our law enforcement officers go above and beyond every single day to serve their communities with heart.

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