'Oh, you're scared of fireworks:' Good Samaritan helps reunite service dog with her family



COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A service dog was reunited with her family after she became spooked by fireworks on the Fourth of July -- and took off.

Angel, a 9-year-old Sheltie/Huskie mix is a service dog for Tracelle Higgins' daughter Jocelyn, who is living with cerebral palsy. She has been a part of the Higgins family since Hurricane Katrina.

While the Higgins family went to celebrate the Fourth of July, they realized Angel wasn't at home when they got back. Frantic to find her, they worked until the wee hours of the next morning.

Their prayers were answered when a good Samaritan found the dog in the middle of the street and turned to social media.

"I was driving home on Hardscrabble Road, and she was in the middle of the road, and I was like, 'no -- we need to get out of the middle of the road.' And so I stopped. I stopped to like, shoo her out the road, and she hopped in my car, and I was like, 'oh -- you're scared of fireworks. That's why.' Because they were popping. When I posted her to Facebook, and luckily she was on the news, and everybody hit me up, it was like, 'da-da-da,'" said Danielle Joiner, who found Angel.

"Jocelyn has cerebral palsy, and she has solid aspiration and she suffers from seizures, and Angel looks after her, and when something's wrong with Jocelyn, she'll let us know. Angel could never be replaced. Never be replaced," said Tracelle Higgins.

Higgins expressed tremendous gratitude to Joiner for bringing Angel back to her family, and said "I thank God for touching your heart and keeping her safe."