Tel Aviv police officers reunited an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor with her missing dog following a burglary last week at her Jaffa home, the Israel Police announced on Monday evening.
The dog, Charlie, went missing during the break-in, which took place several days ago and resulted in property stolen from the elderly victim, according to the police’s Spokesperson’s Unit.
Officers of the Jaffa station launched a criminal probe and apprehended a suspect, identified as a fellow resident of the Arab-majority district in his 30s. He was questioned, and his remand was extended by a judge.
Meanwhile, officers spotted Charlie wandering alone along the Bat Yam promenade, some 3 miles south of Yaffa, police said. The force was said to have “secured his safety” while arranging the dog’s return home.
“In a deeply emotional reunion, Charlie was returned to the woman, who welcomed him with warmth, love and tears of joy,” police said, publishing footage of the reunion.
After a burglary at the home of an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor in Jaffa, her beloved dog, Charlie, went missing. Tel Aviv District officers successfully arrested the suspect and continued their search for the dog.
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) December 29, 2025
Yesterday, officers found Charlie and reunited him with his… pic.twitter.com/bXxSooR1JQ
According to figures from Israel’s Holocaust Survivors’ Rights Authority published in late 2024, almost 124,000 Holocaust survivors lived in the Jewish state, compared to 136,989 at the end of 2023. More than 13,000 Israelis who survived the horrors of Nazi Germany died during 2024.
The average age of survivors who are registered with the state was 88, while 257 survivors who receive welfare services were older than 100.
At least 68 Holocaust survivors have moved to Israel since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, including 50 who made the Jewish state their home in 2024, the Aliyah and Integration Ministry said in January.
