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'She Was One In A Million': Hero Dog Who Helped In Over 500 Searches For Lost Pets Has Died

CINCINNATI (CBS Local) -- A search dog who worked tirelessly to help others find their missing pets has passed away.

"Sam" as she was affectionately called, passed away peacefully by the side of her K9 handler, Jim Berns, a pet detective who searches Cincinnati and surrounding areas for missing cats and dogs.

"Samantha was a natural search dog. She loved to go on searches. She was one in a million," Berns said.

"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," Pet Search And Rescue wrote Sunday on its Facebook post.

We lost a hero. We are heartbroken to share with you that K9 Samantha passed away. Samantha was a Search Dog trained...

Posted by Pet Search And Rescue on Sunday, January 19, 2020

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

In 2016, she was able to find 7-year-old deaf boxer Sampson who had been missing for nine days in rural southwest Ohio.

"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," Sampson's owner, Jana Teets, wrote.

"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!"

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