Search Dog, a hero who helped in over 500 searches for lost pets, has passed away

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A local Search Dog who worked to help others find their missing loved ones has passed away. Her team and community are mourning her passing and celebrating her life.

Found as a stray on the streets, "Samantha", a Bluetick Hound mix, was adopted in 2003 from the SPCA of Cincinnati and became a member of the Pet Search And Rescue team.

Samantha's handler, Jim Berns, is a real-life Pet Detective who helps others search for missing cats and dogs. "Sam", as Berns and others affectionately called her, was a "natural" Search Dog and loved to go on searches.

"She was one in a million," Berns said. Sam passed away peacefully at Berns' side.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our amazing Samantha. Samantha has been on over 500 searches and had many walk up finds! She is dearly missed by Jim and Maryann and Alan and Kim who have given her loving care for the last year," wrote the Pet Search And Rescue organization on its Facebook post.

Here is a testimonial from one of Sam's satisfied customers from 2016, according to Pet Search And Rescue:

"Our 7-year-old deaf boxer, Sampson, had been missing for 9 days in rural southwest Ohio. After extensive searches, placing signs, checking humane societies, etc., we finally had a few calls with possible sightings. We weren't able to get close, though, as Sampson was scared and stayed "on the move."
We called Jim Berns and within hours he brought his 3 dogs and had prepared many large signs.
Jim and I took one of his dogs, Samantha, to the field where Sampson was thought to have been seen earlier in the day. This was several miles from our home. After getting a scent near a stream, Samantha immediately went across the stream and led us through the woods along the water. After about 20 minutes, we spotted Sampson and were able to retrieve him!
It was one of those unforgettable moments that you cannot describe with words! We cannot thank Jim and Samantha enough! Though the other two dogs, Buford and Hercules, were disappointed that they didn't get to participate, they are terrific dogs as well! We highly recommend Jim and his dogs if you are searching for your lost pet!
Jana Teets"

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