Ocala family is renting the Marion Theater to show thanks for their returned dog

To keep up with the latest local news subscribe to our TV20 newsletter HERE and receive news straight to your email every morning.

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - It was a search that lasted two weeks for Sarah Bland and her family, as they looked for their beloved dog Waco.

Although, the search was not done alone.

“We had everybody in our neighborhood, people that we have never met before spending hours looking for him,” said Sarah Bland.

It was this sense of community and support that brought the Ocala family hope, when Waco ran away from home on May 29th.

“There were some people that messaged us daily saying ‘I’m driving around looking for him what can I do?.’ It was amazing seeing people we know and those we’ve never met in our lives help us in bringing our dog home” said Bland.

Their dog ended up returning home on his own on June 10th.

“We just wanted to find our dog because our dog is almost the most important thing in the entire world,” said Sarah’s son, Aidan Maynard.

To show their appreciation for the community coming together in the search, Sarah and her wife are renting The Marion Theater in downtown Ocala this Saturday to play the movie Homeward Bound.

“It is kind of the situation we found ourselves in. Your beloved pet goes missing and then finds his way home” said Bland.

As well as a free movie, soda, and popcorn; the Marion County animal shelter will also bring out dogs up for adoption.

“I hope that they find their true one dog companion so that all of these dogs that we bring they all get a home so that they can feel the same love that we feel for Waco,” said Maynard.

The theater will be full of people and dogs, hoping to find the relationship this family feels for their furry friend.

CLICK HERE for tickets.

Copyright 2022 WCJB. All rights reserved. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.