SC Search and Rescue Dog Allegedly Taken

June 20 -- A firefighter with Horry County Fire Rescue is offering a $3,500 reward after he said his personal search and rescue K9 was allegedly stolen.

Firefighter Carl Hall said he was training Tuesday night in North Myrtle Beach with his dog Hope, according to a police report. Hall said he put the dog back into his car after training, went to get his dog's props and noticed a door on his vehicle was open, the report said.

Authorities said the dog, who is worth $10,000, was missing along with about $420 worth of gear, including a knife, first aid kit and a canine GPS tracker.

The dog, a 3-year-old black and tan female German Shepard, went missing from from the S.C. 31 and Water Tower Road area, authorities said.

Hope weighs 65 pounds and has a chip reader, a report said.

Hall posted about the dog on Facebook on Tuesday night and the post has had more than 4,000 shares.

Mark Nugent, spokesperson with Horry County fire, said the department has two arson dogs and Hall's dog is not affiliated with the department. Nugent confirmed Hall works for the department.

The department tweeted Wednesday morning about the incident, asking people to share the post.

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