Puppy, girl offering piggy bank reward reunited

Meeko, the 6-month-old Yorkie-Shih Tzu mix that was stolen from the San Jose, Calif., home of 10-year-old Marissa Mabanag, was reunited with its owner on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. / KPIX

SAN JOSE, Calif. There's a happy ending for a Northern California girl who offered her piggy bank savings for the return of her stolen puppy.

Ten-year-old Marissa Mabanag's dog was stolen during a burglary earlier this week at her San Jose home. It was the second time her family's residence had been broken into.

The girl offered the contents of her piggy bank to boost the $6,000 in reward money gathered by San Jose police and firefighters unions and Councilman Ash Kalra.

CBS Station KPIX reports the dog Meeko, a shih tzu-Yorkie mix, was found Wednesday in a Target store parking lot 80 miles away in Merced County.

Police union president Jim Unland says Blanca Del Real, the woman who found the puppy at the Target in Los Banos, will receive the $6,000 reward.

• Girl offers piggy bank money for return of puppy

"I'm just so happy he's back with his family," said Marissa Mabanag as she clutched Meeko. "He's safe no matter what now."

Councilman Kalra told KPIX that he sees a trend of increasingly brazen burglaries in the city that he finds deeply troubling.

"People are very well aware of the fact that we're so short on officers," Kalra said. "This puppy was found 72 miles away, which means there are people that are coming from long distances to take advantage of our residents."

[Tobi86]

I personally want to congratultate and Thank the person or persons who originally took the puppy and had it in their heart for the little girl to allow it to be returned to the family. If I had seen that darling face God knows I would have wanted to nab it also. I am wanting to believe you made this possible because you have a soft heart and not because you knew everyone in every state would be putting a bounty on your head for taking this sweet little thing. Don't tell me and let me believe in miracles. Either way thank you from all animal lovers.

[lesserof2evil]

I'm happy for the little girl.

[canislupus16]

And the puppy