Riggs, a beloved firehouse dog in Texas, was found dead after going missing from his station.

The Midlothian Fire Department shared on May 6 that their station dog and companion died after being struck by a vehicle.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share Riggs has been located. Sadly, he was struck by a vehicle and did not survive," the fire department said in a post on Facebook. "While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support from our community."

Thanking the community for their efforts in helping locate Riggs, the fire department said: "Riggs was more than just a station dog — he was part of our family."

"We will miss him deeply," the post read. "Thank you again, Midlothian, for standing with us."

When did Riggs go missing?

Riggs was first reported missing on May 2, with the North Texas fire department requesting the public's assistance in helping locate the dog. The agency did not specify how Riggs escaped, except that its "beloved firehouse dog has gotten out from Fire Station 1."

The yellow lab mix was last spotted heading towards the highway on station cameras around 2:45 p.m. May 2, while a passerby reported seeing him near the on-ramp around 3:00 p.m.

Carrie Butterfield, a dog handler, and her tracking dog, Bullet, also pitched in to help search for Riggs on May 4, but were only able to track Riggs' scent from the fire station to about 200 yards away near Highway 287, authorities said.

When Riggs was not located, the fire department, on May 3, offered a reward of $1,000 to anyone who can safely return the pooch. The reward was later bumped to $2,500 on May 5.

However, all efforts proved futile, and Riggs was eventually found dead.

Riggs offered relief to firefighters

Assistant Fire Chief Phillip Brancato told USA TODAY May 7 Riggs had been with the department for almost three and half years. Brancato said the dog was rescued as a young pup by a crew member from the roadside south of Midlothian.

Fire Chief Dale McCaskill told CBS News Texas that the pup was like a part of their family.

"He's always excited when (firefighters) return back from a call," McCaskill told CBS. "Anybody that owns a dog knows they meet you at the door with the same enthusiasm every time, and so that's been a relief for our firefighters after a stressful call."

Midlothian is located about 25 miles southwest of Dallas.