Hillsborough Co. Sheriff's deputy dog reunited with his owner - WFLA-TV Newschannel 8

The unofficial mascot of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Agricultural Unit is resting safety at home after a long journey and happy reunion. "Doc" jumped from a trailer Saturday while his owner, Hillsborough Sheriff's Det. Lowell Cain, drove along I-75 in Sarasota.

"The section that he stays in is specifically made for a dog and he's like Houdini. He just came out of it," said Sgt. Ron Cain, Lowell Cain's brother.  Cain worried he would never see his cattle herding partner again.  "My brother went through some hard times and Doc's been there with him all the way through," said Ron Cain. "They got a special bond."

Surveillance video from a gas station near I-75's exit 210 brought Cain some relief. A Good Samaritan was caught on camera helping the dog fill up on water.  "We were very thankful when we found out and seen the video of him giving him water because we knew he was alive," said Ron Cain.

Sean Ricciardi is the man in the video. He said he was driving home to Tampa from his Sarasota job when he saw the dog running in the opposite direction of traffic.  "I couldn't not stop," said Ricciardi.

Ricciardi said he took Doc to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay to have a vet examine him and scan him for a microchip. There was no match, but Ricciardi didn't give up his search for the dog's owner. He called the Humane Society of Sarasota County Wednesday and was told the dog was the subject of several recent media reports.  "It was pretty surprising that all this was going on and there were people talking about it and I was taking the dog for walks and feeding it," said Ricciardi.

Cain and Doc were reunited Wednesday afternoon.  "He's a good guy and he deserves to have his dog and I would have hoped for the same thing," said an emotional Ricciardi after the reunion.