A 7-year-old Paterson boy battling muscular dystrophy has been reunited with his lost dog.

Jacob Rodriguez's pet Shih Tzu Brownie was given to him as a gift to help him deal with his treatment. 

“Brownie means everything to him,” says Jacob’s mother, Jazmine Crespo.

But Brownie slipped out of the home this past weekend and became lost.

"It just breaks your heart because this kid is crying, he can't sleep at night. He didn't want to go to school,” says Paterson Animal Control Chief John DeCando.

But on Tuesday, Montclair State student Adrianne Trastoy found Brownie and brought him over to Jacob's home. Unfortunately no one was there, so she reported it to animal control and took Brownie in for the night.

DeCando showed up at her work the next day and they figured out who the dog belonged to. They were able to reunite Jacob and Brownie.

"Oh my God, we were so happy, it was the best feeling in the world,” says Crespo.

Passaic County Freeholder Terry Duffy rewarded Trastoy with $500 for her good deed.

"I know the bond that a child can have with a dog and especially with this child. So many challenges in his life, it touched home,” Duffy says.

Jacob is due for major surgery in about two weeks. His mother says that Brownie is helping him to stay brave.