Alexandra Melnick served a nine-month deployment as a Marine in Afghanistan. When she finally came home, it was with a brain injury and PTSD. To help with her recovery and adjustment, she got a German shepherd puppy, Kai, and trained him as a service dog. Kai provided much needed comfort for Melnick's PTSD, and even helped her fall asleep and wake from nightmares.
The day after Thanksgiving, Kai was stolen from Melnick's backyward in Vista, California. Desperate to find him, she started both a Facebook page, dedicated to collecting and spreading information, and a GoFundMe page to gather enough money for a detective and a reward.
For nearly 9 months, Melnick handed out fliers and drove many miles in search of her lost friend. Despite no results, she refused to give up her search.
In August, a social media post led Melnick to Kai's current whereabouts: Denton County, Texas. Melnick flew out the very next day to meet the family who had him, only to find out that they neither knew he was a missing dog nor did they want to give him up. Kai was seized by Animal Control while Melnick took the legal steps necessary to get him back.
She was eventually completely reunited with Kai, who had unfortunately become infested with fleas and scared by sudden movements during his time away from Melnick.
Melnick credits her GoFundMe page and the donations she received from it with finally helping her find Kai again. The remaining donation money she had was divided up among organizations that helped her or help others find their missing pets.