$1,000 reward offered for President Warren Harding’s stolen dog collar

MARION, Ohio (AP) — A radio station serving U.S. President Warren G. Harding’s Ohio hometown says a reward offered by one of its listeners is providing new hope of finding a long lost dog collar stolen from his historic home.

Scott Spears, host of a morning radio show on WWGH-FM in Marion, near the 29th president’s birthplace, said the donor of the $1,000 reward asked to remain anonymous. Spears told listeners of the offer on “Now With Scott Spears” last week.

He said the station has deposited the money in a local bank and will act as an intermediary on any tips offered to solve the mystery.

The antique collar belonged to Harding’s Airedale terrier. It was the only thing stolen from his home on a Tuesday in 2012. A groundskeeper found a ladder propped against a second-story window. That prompted speculation that the thief had visited the home before and knew where to look for the collar.

Made in 1923, the collar has the dog’s name, “Laddie Boy,” engraved on it in raised letters surrounded by hearts.