Family Desperately Searching For Therapy Dog

"I don't know what to do, My son needs his dog back," Billie Mauk said.

Her son, 10-year-old Malachi Mauk, is special needs. She said they were hoping to train his dog, Bubba, to be his next therapy dog.

"He was good," Malachi said. "He wouldn't run off."

Bubba disappeared earlier this week and his owner said he's lost without him.

Malachi said he was outside checking on the chickens when he heard his other dogs barking like crazy.

"My husband called and he said, 'I've got the other three dogs but Bubba dog's gone. Come home,'" his mom, Billie, said.

Billie said they think someone might have seen Bubba on the side of this road, and taken off with him.

"We went up and down all the dirt roads, I talked to neighbors," she said. "And still nothing."

Malachi said he searched for his dog for two hours in the cold, and all he wants is his best friend to come home.

"The house is not the house it was when he was here," Malachi said.

Billie said Malachi has high-functioning autism, and his current therapy dog Zipper is getting older. She said Malachi needs a therapy dog to function in social situations.

"We was planning to train Bubby to be basically Zippy's retirement plan," she said.

Billie said they've looked and called everywhere, and they're begging anyone who knows where Bubba is to return him.

"No questions asked, we won't be upset, we won't be mad," she said. "Malachi needs his dog back."

If you know where Bubba is, call the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.