The little boy's parents have been identified since then and his father is reportedly "very cooperative."
We love it when we come across a story with a silver lining, where a community comes together to make a happy ending possible. When a little boy was abandoned with his dog in a cemetery just two days before Christmas, it could have turned into a tragedy. Instead, the community rallied around the child and brought a smile to his face.
The 3-year-old boy, who said his name is Tony, was left at Hope Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Hinckley, Ohio, by his parents. A witness reported seeing a blue car drive away from there even though the boy and the dog were running behind it. The Hinckley Police Department responded to the call at 12.16 pm and found the child alone with his dog, as per Daily Mail.
The officers met the witness, who said she saw a blue mid-sized car parked semi blocking the drive in the northeast corner of the cemetery. When she drove around the vehicle and stopped to park, she saw the car drive away quickly. It was only after that she saw the little boy chasing the car.
The officers transferred the child into custody with child services and the 3-year-old was then placed in the "loving" home of a foster family, the Hinckley Polie Department (HPD) said.
The HPD released a statement saying that Tony "did tell officers his mom’s name was Katy and his dad's name was David. He appears to be about 3 years old, in good physical condition, approximately 3 feet tall, 40lbs, short brown hair, and blue eyes." They had also asked for information and leads to the child's family.
Since then, the police have identified the child's parents and said that the boy's father has been "very cooperative," as per Daily Mail.
Now, the police chief is hailing the "overwhelming" response from the community to Tony's story. "I would like to thank everyone for their kindness in wanting to buy Christmas presents for Tony, take him in and adopt him. You all are amazing people and why we have such a great community here in Hinckley, all of Medina County, and beyond."
"If anyone would like to buy a Christmas present for Tony we will accept them at Hinckley PD and see that they get to him as soon as possible. He is a typical 3 1/2-year-old little boy and is a size 4T/5T if that helps," the police chief said.
He added, "While the investigation is still ongoing with a lot of questions still unanswered I want to assure everyone that Tony is doing very well in the loving home of a foster family here in Medina County."
On Christmas Day, the police chief again shared an update to thank all the people who wanted Tony to have a good time during the holidays. "Our lobby is full of the gifts that have been dropped off. I reached out to my friend Santa and tomorrow morning after he has finished his deliveries he is going to stop at HPD. We are going to load the sleigh and make one final stop to see our little friend," said the police chief.
He praised his community for renewing his faith in them. "All of you are truly the best! God Bless all of you," he said.
References:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9098257/Boy-dog-abandoned-Ohio-cemetery-Christmas.html
https://www.facebook.com/hinckleytownshippolice/posts/1814475428709581
https://www.facebook.com/hinckleytownshippolice/photos/a.264597913697348/1815410138616110
