Dog Found Tied to Bench in the Rain After Being Stolen off Subway

At this point, most of us are used to hearing about how terrible social media is for us — but every once in a while, a story reminds us that the internet’s not always bad. Recently, one TikTok video helped reunite a stolen dog with his pet parent, days after he had been left tied to a park bench in rainy weather.

Will Zurier and Margaret Molloy were on a walk at AIDS Memorial Park in the West Village with their own Pit Bull, Banks, when they encountered Bishop, the pair told People. Startled by the sight of a pup alone in the rain, they stayed to wait with him for his guardian to return. After an hour with no sight of the dog’s human, they decided to take action.

Get 20% off 
PrettyLitter, just for our kin

Save on the litter with color-changing tech that helps you better care for your cat.

Get Your Coupon

“I think we have a soft spot for dogs in general,” Zurier told People, adding that he and Molloy know that Pit Bulls, especially, are often disregarded. “I just felt that the dog really deserved another shot, and so we could at least find it another home, as opposed to just calling animal control and sending it out to a shelter.”

They brought the pup to Small Door Vet, where they were offered a free appointment. “We definitely wanted to get kind of a quick check-up done, especially if we were bringing in the house with our dog and ourselves,” Zurier told People.

Then, they took off in search of Bishop’s guardian. When they called the police station, they found out that no reports had been filed — which they were told is common in the case of missing pets. They went to the nearby hospital to ask if anyone who was admitted had left a dog, but there were no leads. On TikTok, they detailed the many more actions they took: calling 311, creating a digital flier, leaving their information at local vets and hospitals, asking local buildings and restaurants to share Bishop’s story, and more — no stone was left unturned.

In a last ditch effort, Molloy decided to post a video on TikTok. “I obviously don’t have a TikTok following. I have like 100 followers,” Molloy told People. “Most of them are my friends, and I don’t post that frequently, but I don’t know. I see things like this on TikTok...So I was like, let me just make a video and put it out into the universe.”

The video spread, gaining thousands of views. Eventually, someone commented who recognized Bishop from a Nextdoor post. On the app, someone had shared that their friend’s dog was stolen during a subway ride. “A friend of mine was on board a downtown 1 train at the Chambers Street station when someone picked up his Pit Bull and ran off with it just as the doors were closing,” the post read — and it was accompanied by four photos of the adorable pup.

Bishop’s pet parent had searched the area, but he couldn’t find Bishop. Thirty-six hours later, Zurier and Molloy took Bishop back to the vet office to meet his guardian. “The dog ran straight up to him,” Zurier told People. “He had his toys with him too. He was so happy…He was bawling. It was so tough. And like, I definitely teared up during the situation.”

Zurier and Molloy added that if his guardian hadn’t been found, they were committed to fostering Bishop themselves if they had been accepted into a rescue program that could assist with the financial burden.

“Our PSA is to update your dog’s microchip,” Zurier told People. On TikTok, they shared that when the number on Bishop’s microchip was contacted, it had been disconnected.

Despite the long and emotional process, Zurier told People that the pair are grateful for the way the story unfolded. “It was the best possible outcome we could have asked for,” he said. Watch the heartwarming reunion below.