New Jersey police officers drive 650 miles to reunite dog with owner

WALL TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two police officers have driven 650 miles from New Jersey to South Carolina to reunite a dog with its owner.

"She gave us a lot of laughs and a lot of memories," said Patrolman Frank Kuhl, Wall Township Police.

Patrolman Kuhl promised a sick man he would take good care of his dog Bella while he was in the hospital.

He sure kept his word, driving the basset hound 650 miles back home to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

"One of his reservations was what was going to happen to Bella. He was clearly very attached to her. And she was to him when we started pulling her away she started to whimper. Trying to stay with him," Kuhl said.

That was back on July 15th when Kuhl was called to help a man in a broken down car who needed medical attention.

Bella had no place to go so she spent a week at the Monmouth County Humane Society.

But after seven days, she would have to be put up for adoption.

Patrolman Kuhl, his wife, and kids offered to take her until they could get her home.

"I put her in the backseat with blankets and what not so that she would be comfortable. No sooner than opening my front door to get into the driver seat she jumped into the passenger seat then turned around and looked at me as if to say, 'I sit right here,'" Kuhl said.

After 11 days with the Kuhls, their black lab, and German shepherd, Kuhl and another patrolman, Michael Tancredi, drove 10 and a half hours last Thursday to reunite Bella with her family.

"It was very difficult to see her leave we all fell in love with her," Kuhl said. "I had the chance to help out and ultimately it's something I can be proud of. It was a fun experience and very much worth it."

Patrolman Kuhl says he did all this because he loves his dogs and knows Bella's family needed her home.

The owner expressed gratitude to the officers for all of their work and assistance in returning the dog.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)