Chicagoans step in to help man find dog who was taken in West Side carjacking

CHICAGO (CBS) — Carjackers made off with a Toyota on Chicago’s Near West Side Tuesday, but the car’s owner became lasered in on what was in the back seat – his dog, Bowie.

As CBS 2’s Chris Tye reported Wednesday, a massive effort has been launched to reunite dog and owner over the past 24 hours.

In the shock of being carjacked, calling 911, and trying to piece together what happened, it took 56-year-old Tim Sheridan a few minutes to remember that in the back of that blue Prius was his dog.

That pup named Bowie is more like a son to Sheridan, and the race was on to find her.

“It’s like a parent losing a child, you know?” Sheridan said. “If your child gets lost, and you have that moment of frantic panic.”

The panic set at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.

“He showed me his gun and told me that I’m being carjacked, and he needed the keys, and he wanted my wallet,” Sheridan said.

That wallet was freshly filled from the Chase Bank Sheridan had just left at Madison Street and Western Avenue.

“He was very urgent, and I gave it to him,” Sheridan said.

As things went south on the West Side. Sheridan didn’t yet process what else he gave the carjacker.

“She was I the back seat, so I forgot her — then it hit me,” Sheridan said.

The “she” he is talking about was Bowie – a 7-year-old mutt named after David Bowie.

“I mean, I love my dog. I love my dog a lot – and a lot of people love my dog,” Sheridan said. “I didn’t sleep last night.”

Sheridan suffered through a night with no sleep – but he had lots of help.

“So many people that I didn’t know just came out and just helped out just like without question,” Sheridan said.

One person who saw the carjacking followed the car. His son’s friend posted pictures online of the dog, the car, and details of the crime. 

“It just shows you, Chicago is a great city — and people are really good,” Sheridan said.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday — 12 hours after the began — there was as reunion.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am, because she’s the world to me – and she’s the world to my kids,” Sheridan said. “Everybody loves Bowie.”

It turned out the dog was let go by the thieves just after the carjacking.

Someone found Bowie next door to the bank.

They dropped h er off at a local doggy daycare, where someone noticed the online posting and reached out to Sheridan.

Chicago showed its true colors on Wednesday. A community filled with decent people locked arms and leaned in — both to reunite the pair, and to restore faith in humanity.

“We do look out for each other – and that to me is so important, and I’m just so happy to have Bowie back,” Sheridan said.

The doggy daycare Pack Life, 401 N. Oakley Blvd., that orchestrated the Sheridan with Bowie. Sheridan was set to stop by Wednesday evening to thank the staff in person.

Sheridan’s blue Prius is still missing.