BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A man who lost his dog a year ago is desperately searching for his beloved pet after a recent sighting Bakersfield.
David Crane is looking for his coonhound named Copper, who was last spotted near the 1400 block of South H Street about a week ago.
"It was the middle of the night, and he's a black dog. I looked for him all night long and couldn't find him. Next thing I know, I'm looking for him the next day, and I don't see any sign of him. He just kind of disappeared in the night, it seems," Crane said.
Crane lost Copper about a year ago while living in Bakersfield. Shortly after Copper ran away, Crane had to relocate to Texas for work, but he never gave up hope of finding his companion.
"I kept checking Bakersfield lost and found, hoping against hope that I would find him," Crane said.
Last Tuesday, a breakthrough came when someone posted a picture of a dog matching Copper's description on the Facebook page "Bakersfield Lost, Stolen or Found Animals."
"And so that's when I took a closer look, and when I saw the markings on his face, I just knew that it was him," Crane said.
The sighting prompted Crane to make the long drive from Texas back to Bakersfield, where he spent three full days searching for Copper.
"Spent all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday looking for him. I found the exact spot where the picture was taken, but I didn't see any sign of him beyond that," Crane said.
When I contacted Kern County Animal Services, they confirmed receiving a call about a dog in the area that night, but the animal was gone by the time they arrived.
Crane's post about Copper on the Facebook page has gained significant attention, with more than 5,000 likes and 2,000 shares.
"The sheer volume of people from not just around the Bakersfield area but across the country and around the world honestly is just astounding, truly overwhelming," Crane said.
Though Crane had to return to Texas for work, several community members have volunteered to continue the search for Copper in his absence.
Cassandra Coughenour is one of those volunteers who has taken up the cause.
"My husband and I have been driving the area that we have gotten sightings, I posted on the neighborhood app," Coughenour said.
Coughenour has been posting flyers throughout the neighborhood and has offered to care for Copper until Crane can return to Bakersfield if the dog is found.
Her dedication stems from personal experience – Coughenour lost her own dog, Angel, 18 years ago.
"We still think about her, we still miss her," Coughenour said.
It's a heartbreak she doesn't want anyone else to endure.
"And if he's willing to come out here and look for his dog and ask for help, then I'm more than willing to help him," Coughenour said.
"He's just my buddy, he's just my friend, you know," Crane said.
If you spot Copper in the neighborhood, you can contact Crane at (801) 234-0973, or Coughenour at (661) 345-6850.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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