Three-year-old boy abandoned with pet dog in Ohio cemetery at Christmas

'Tony is doing very well in the loving home of a foster family in Medina County,’ authorities said

Police responded to reports of an abandoned child at Hope Memorial Gardens Cemetery on 23 December (Google Maps)

A three-year-old boy who was abandoned with his dog in a cemetery in Ohio just before Christmas has been placed in a “loving home” while authorities investigate, police said.

Hinckley Police Department said in a statement two days before Christmas that they had responded to reports of an abandoned child at Hope Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Hinckley, Ohio, last Wednesday.

A witness told police that she saw a vehicle drive away from the cemetery at high speed before a little boy ran after the car followed by a dog.

The three-year-old, who told officers his name was Tony, was taken into protective custody and Medina County Children Services was contacted, police said.

“Tony is doing very well in the loving home of a foster family in Medina County” police said.

The department thanked the community for contacting the department to voice support for the boy and offering to “buy Christmas presents for Tony, take him in and adopt him.”

Officials said that the investigation is still underway and that there are “a lot of questions still unanswered” but specified that the boy’s dad has been “very cooperative” in the investigation.

In another update on Christmas Day, police shared a photograph of a mountain of presents that had been donated by members of the public for Tony.

“From all of us at HPD we want to thank everyone for your kindness, thoughts, prayers and overwhelming love. Our lobby is full from the gifts that have been dropped off,” they said.

“I reached out to my friend Santa and tomorrow morning after he has finished his deliveries he is going to stop at HPD. We are going to load the sleigh and make one final stop to see our little friend.”

According to local Fox affiliate WJW-TV, authorities later recovered the dog from the cemetery and returned it to the boy’s father.

Local officials told the broadcaster that they are asking members of the public to refrain from jumping to conclusions while the investigation continues.