Relatives of the 12-year-old boy who survived a deadly murder-suicide at his Calvert County home last week say it's a miracle that he's still alive.

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Now, they want him to be reunited with his dogs.

Frankie Hayward was the lone family member to survive the tragic events inside an Owings home on July 31, when his father, Frank, killed himself, his wife Cynthia and their 2-year-old daughter Natalee. Frankie was seriously injured, but is expected to survive.

Days after the incident, though, his grandfather, Don Patten, believes that Frankie's best friend, a 2-year-old pit bull named Sky, and Steel, another dog the family adopted just two weeks ago, need to be reunited with him.

"He lost his parents and sister," Patten said. "He'll need all the love he can get."

Animal control had no problem catching Sky, but Steel was on the run for two days. As of Friday morning, both pets were back at the Humane Society of Calvert County with the people who first rescued them.

"We want to keep these dogs safe," Kelly St. Marie of the Humane Society said. "The boy may want them to help him heal."

Meanwhile, Patten believes that getting Frankie out of the hospital would be one bright spot in this terrible tragedy, and having Sky and Steel back would help.

"He loved his dogs," he said. "They slept with him in bed."