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Single Dad Offers Reward After Therapy Dog For Epileptic Baby Stolen

SAN DIEGO (CBS) — A Southland dad is desperately trying to find a dog that helps him care for his infant daughter after it was apparently stolen from his backyard.

Brian Margarita, a single parent from Point Loma, said his Doberman Pinscher named Bella is more than just a family pet — she's a certified therapy dog for his 9-month-old daughter Reese, who has epilepsy.

"Obviously there's baby monitors in here that I can hear the baby, but I don't feel like I could react as fast as the dog is sensing things before they happen," Margarita said.

Bella sleeps next to Reese's crib and starts barking whenever the baby has a seizure — a job that Margarita said he relies on every night to help him care for his little girl.

Margarita said he has taken to Facebook to alert dog rescue groups across the nation to be on the lookout for Bella, who has been missing for over a week.

"It's almost on the borderline of stealing someone's kid," he said. "How do you have any conscience about taking something that somebody has a bond with?"

Margarita is offering a $1,000 reward for the dog's return. Anyone with information is asked to email him at brianmargarita@gmail.com.

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