PRAIRIEVILLE – The sheriff's office in Ascension Parish said its investigation surrounding a suspicious man driving through neighborhoods and in at least one location, talking to a young boy about a lost dog, revealed the man was really looking for his dog.

Over the weekend, parents took to community blogs and forums to discuss seeing the vehicle and a man acting oddly. The interaction with the child was seen by a neighbor in an area off Highway 42 near Airline Highway this weekend. The neighbor took the boy away from the vehicle as the child was approaching it, according to a post online.

The sheriff's office said the man showed the boy a picture of a dog who the man said had gone missing.  Fearing something more sinister was happening, the boy's parents called 911 after the vehicle drove away.

Discussions about what happened went viral, forcing the sheriff's office to comment and ease fears.

Monday evening, the sheriff's office said deputies tracked down the man.  The man was looking for his mixed lab named Toby.  Toby was eventually found and returned to its owner.

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