Missing Dog Found 1,300 Miles From Home — Police Care For Her Until Family Arrives

March 12, 2026

A small dog named Koko, missing for two years from Texas, has finally returned home — after being spotted more than 1,000 miles away in New Jersey and lovingly cared for by local police officers while her family raced to bring her back.

CBS Evening News

On March 4, someone spotted Koko wandering around a shopping mall in Clark, New Jersey — about 1,300 miles from her home in Glenn Heights, Texas. A passerby noticed the little dog roaming around the shopping center and called the Clark Township Police Department.

Officer Nick Kurus responded to the call and brought Koko back to police headquarters. From there, staff members began working to track down her family.

They were able to locate a pet-finder service connected to the dog and eventually obtained contact information for the last recorded owner. When Kurus made the call, the reaction on the other end of the line was pure shock.

Koko’s owners had been searching for answers ever since she vanished in Texas two years earlier. Over time, they had come to believe they might never see their beloved dog again.

That changed instantly with one unexpected phone call.

The family immediately made plans to fly to New Jersey, and a reunion was scheduled just a few days later on March 7.

In the meantime, Koko became an honorary member of the police department.

Instead of sending her to a shelter, officers decided to care for her themselves while waiting for her family to arrive.

“Rather than being sent to a shelter, members of the Clark Police Department cared for the dog the next 3 days,” the department explained.

Officers bathed her, fed her treats, took her for regular walks, and made sure she was comfortable with blankets and toys. Some of the supplies were even purchased by staff members with their own money.

Police Director Patrick Grady said the decision was easy.

“As a dog lover amongst many other dog lovers, we were not going to make that puppy wait in a shelter or pound,” he said.

Despite their busy duties, the officers made sure Koko was well cared for.

“Koko was living her best life inside the dispatch room the last 3 days,” Grady added. “Hopefully it will get even better being reunited with her family again.”

When the long-awaited reunion finally happened, it was everything everyone had hoped for.

Police said Koko ran straight to her mom the moment she arrived.

The grateful owners thanked the department for the kindness and compassion they showed their dog while she waited to go home.

For the officers who had grown attached to their temporary station mascot, the goodbye was a little bittersweet.

“We will miss you, Koko,” the department wrote on Facebook.

One mystery still remains: no one knows how the adventurous pup managed to travel all the way from Texas to New Jersey during the two years she was missing.