Party celebrates Perceus's return home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - On Sunday afternoon there was a party for Perceus on the Country Club Plaza.

Dozens of people showed up at Starbucks to celebrate the dog's safe return, including the man who was credited with finding him. The yellow lab, which was at the Plaza Physicians Group office next door to JJ’s restaurant, went missing after the Feb. 19 explosion that leveled the renowned eatery.

Searchers brought together by social media finally found him Saturday, nearly seven miles away from where he was last seen.

Theodore Charles spotted the dog near his house at 36th Street and Garfield Avenue for three days in a row.

"I couldn't believe how many people were out there,” Charles said Sunday.”I really couldn't (join in), but it was great; they got it done."

"I kept hoping someone took him in and was taking care of him,” said Percy’s owner, Dr. John Verstraete.”But it's just even more amazing that he survived almost three weeks on his own. I wouldn't have thought he had the capability of doing that."

Verstraete personally thanked Theodore Charles Sunday and gave him the reward money for finding Percy.