Just as true soulmates can never stay separate, neither can a pet and its owner. The bond that is forged is one of the strongest ones on the planet. By providing shelter, food, water, and a home filled with love, a pet owner guarantees themselves a companion for life.
As beautiful as this sentiment is, things do happen out of pet owners’ control that separate them from their beloved dogs. Here are some heartwarming stories showing how dog owners reunited with their pets after time and distance tore them apart.
Little Phoenix is Separated From His Family for 8 Years
Phoenix was just a 5-month-old pup when he was stolen from his family in Rochester in 2013. What was more heartbreaking was that little Phoenix knew nothing of the outside world. The family, the mother, in particular, was devastated.
They reported him missing, and it took the family eight whole years to get back together. Every dog is protected as per the guidelines of the general animal service organization. A microchip had been implanted in his skin, containing his owners’ contact information, and that was the very reason Phoenix was able to find his way home.
A Microchip Reunites the Family
It’s easy to figure out where and who found Phoenix. Phoenix was discovered sleeping in the garage of a Rochester resident. With the information in the microchip, Rochester Animal Services tracked down Phoenix’s real owners.
The owners had moved to Atlanta and had given up hope of ever seeing their old dog, but when the Rochester animal care team called them, they were overjoyed and immediately sent their son to retrieve Phoenix. Even though Little Phoenix had grown up for eight years without his family, he could still recognize them, and within the next one hour, he was back where he belonged.
Hurricane Harvey Wreaks Havoc in More Than One Way
This narrative has the potential to be adapted into a big box office film. The scenario in which the family was forced to part from their pets and how they grieved their loss was quite distressing. When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in 2017, it wreaked havoc on many families.
Floods and natural disasters forced many to flee their homes, leaving valuables behind and racing to safety. The severe floods separated Eugene from his lovely canines, Peggy Sue and Wesley, no matter how hard they fought to stay together. Eugene was heartbroken.
Humane Society to the Rescue
During the hurricane, the vest-wearing heroes of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Beaumont Animal Care collaborated to assist those who were affected. They rescued a large number of animals, including Peggy Sue and Wesley.
They discovered these dogs in a Beaumont flood and took them to the shelter right away, where they found out about the owner after additional investigation. They notified Eugene right away. Eugene’s worries of losing his furry friends in the floods were put to rest, and the dogs and their owner were reunited without having to wait years.
Dognapper Devastates Senior Citizens
82-year-old pensioner Keith Fetches and his 77-year-old wife Liz had lost their son in 1993. They raised three dogs to heal from losing a child. He described the utter gloom and devastation they felt when their dogs were found to have been dognapped in February.
His dog Keedy, a white spaniel, and their other two dogs were stolen from their kennel. The farm they had in East Yorkshire was well guarded. The owners reported the missing dogs immediately, and to their luck, the authorities could find two of their missing dogs in three days in the Wigan and Preston regions.
Keedy Felt Separation Gloom
Keedy was still missing, and the family, though overjoyed with the return of two of their pet children, grieved the loss of their youngest dog. As weeks passed with no sign of Keedy, Mr. Fetches slowly began to lose hope. The police had their doubts that they would find the dog near Manchester.
But the thief had taken Keedy to southern England and had sold him to someone on Facebook. Keedy, however, would not eat or play with the new owners. He was always sad, and despite numerous visits to the veterinarian, nobody could understand the reason behind Keedy’s sorrow.
A Reunion Overflowing With Joy
A Canterbury vet scanned the dog for a microchip and found that he had an owner miles away. They contacted Mr. Fetches right away. He teared up due to the excitement and had to sit down for a few minutes before he pulled himself back together to bring his dog home.
When Mr. Fetches came to get Keedy, the dog ran to his old owner and laid himself near his feet. Both the dog and the owner were overjoyed. Mr. Fetches said that had he been younger, he’d be jumping up and down in joy.
Deadly Baltimore Explosion Separates Man and Dog
The faithful dog Barak and his owner were cruelly separated after being seriously injured in an explosion in Baltimore. The owner fell into a coma after sustaining severe third-degree burns, life-threatening injuries, and trauma-induced shock. It was a miracle that the owner was still alive.
The doctors weren’t sure how long it would take the owner to recuperate. Even if he awoke, the owner would have to go through a series of procedures to get back on his feet. All the time, he was pleading with someone to keep his dog Barak safe and return him to him.
Temporary Housing at the Shelter
The BARCS animal shelter took Barak in despite being low on resources and overbooked. But even amidst the tight situations, they could find a spot for Barak. The shelter stayed in contact with the owner as much as they could to report the well-being of Barak.
They said that Barak was not a typical shelter dog but was surprisingly well trained. He had play dates and romp walks, training, and cuddle sessions. All in all, he was well looked after by the dedicated staff of BARCS, who informed the owner that they would happily house Barak till he recovered completely.
Finding a New Home for Their Family
The owner could not meet with Barak immediately after his full recovery from the coma and the accident. After losing his former home to the explosion, he fought for a few more days to locate a pet-friendly home for them. He couldn’t have pets in the first several properties he looked at.
Barak was allowed to stay at the pet shelter since the staff there were compassionate. After a long search, the owner eventually found a suitable home for them. He was finally able to meet Barak in a tear-jerking reunion that moved the hearts of everyone around them.
The Touching Reunion of Two Pet Siblings
Dogs form bonds with not just their owners but with their pet-sibling as well. For example, during the Camp Fire in California, pet parent Alberto had to make a quick evacuation during which he was, unfortunately, able to hold onto only one of his dogs.
Alberto and his dog lost Lucas, the third member of their family, to the natural calamity. Both the owner and the other dog were destroyed. But thankfully, the San Francisco SPCA could locate Lucas and bring him back to his family. Alberto that the two dogs were overjoyed to meet each other more than the owner himself.
The Misadventures of Dodger and Gigi
Curiosity in pets is sometimes a cause of concern for their owners. Your dogs frequently stick their muzzles in strange places and become tangled in beautiful but difficult-to-get-away-from messes. Such is the account of Dodger, an absolutely lovable dog who decided it would be fun to travel the world with his canine companion, Gigi.
The two dogs wandered away from their California house after their owners accidentally left the door open for longer than necessary. They bolted towards who knows where and, heartbreakingly, were not able to return to their owners for two long, painful years.
The Power of the Media
The Best Friends Animal Society at Mission Hill’s Pet Care Center sheltered Dodger for two years. Though he was a friendly dog, no one adopted Dodger. Social media and TV played an essential role in their reuniting. The BFAS were promoting the shelter on a television advertisement, and fatefully, Dodger’s mom watched the channel right at that time.
They immediately contacted the shelter, elated to find their dear dog, and were soon reunited. But, tragically, nobody could locate Gigi. What happened to her and where she might be will perhaps always remain a mystery to Dodger and his family.
Lady Gaga and the Case of her Stolen Dogs
This story caused a huge social media uproar and involved law enforcement. Initially, the theories stated that the famous singer was stalked and that this was the act of some haters trying to get at her by attacking her dogs. Perhaps this was just a usual dognapping case, as the thieves didn’t know who the dogs belonged to.
Lady Gaga tweeted on 27 February 2021 that her precious dogs had been taken and that she would offer a huge reward of $500,000 to whoever would return them to her. This case of dognapping was gruesome and involved weapons.
Lady Gaga’s Dog Walker Was Held at Gunpoint
The singer’s dogs, Miss Asia, Koji, and Gustav, were out with their dog walker, Ryan Fischer, down Sierra Bonita Avenue, at 10 pm when a sedan pulled up before them. The kidnappers jumped out, held a gun to Fischer, and demanded he hands over the dogs. He was shot while trying to save the dogs.
The kidnappers snatched Koji and Gustav, leaving Miss Asia covered in Fischer’s blood. After a serious investigation, police narrowed down the suspects to four gang members in Los Angeles. Three suspects, James Jackson, Jaylin White, and Lafayette Whaley, were arrested and charged with attempted murder.
Only After the Dogs for Their Breed
Another suspect, McBride, was the one who returned the dogs to the police, stating that they did not know that these were the dogs that belonged to a celebrity. They were after them just for the market value of their breed. Along with another member, she was only involved in the planning of the theft but had ended up responding to Lady Gaga’s tweet.
McBride returned the dogs to the LAPD two days after the incident. The LAPD returned the dogs to the singer before making the arrests. Lady Gaga was beyond delighted. She thanked her dog walker, Fischer, saying that he would forever be a hero for fighting for her family.
Joy’s Joy, Sam, Goes Missing
Being away from loved ones for a few days is excruciating for some people. Imagine being separated from your dog for five years, clueless about his whereabouts. Retired Army medic, Michael Joy, had lost his 6-year-old Labrador retriever and Siberia husky mix, Sam, from Fort Benning in Summer 2016.
Sam was the second dog Joy had lost, the first one passing away. The incident left Joy feeling more depressed. He and his wife had a tough time coping, so they got another dog named Sam. They thought this would ease their pain, but the loss was still somewhat there.
Disbelief That Sam Had Been Found
Miles away from his home, the Cleveland Police had found Sam. Assuming him to be stray, they brought him to Cleveland’s animal care and control, where they took care of the stray Sam and scanned him for a microchip. They soon found out the owner and reached out to Joy.
Joy initially didn’t believe them and asked questioned them. Once he confirmed that it was Sam, he began his 8-hour journey to collect Sam immediately. Sam did not recognize the owners at first, but once he started sniffing and brushing against Joy, nothing could pull him away from Joy.
An Ordinary Vet Check-up, an Extraordinary Discovery
It’s rare to hear stories where owners find out that the dog they have now once belonged to another family searching for it. Likewise, it’s rare to know that the present owner willingly gave away the dog to its past owners. Many would want the dogs for themselves. However, Linda Gall decided to do the kind thing.
When she took her newly adopted Boston Terrier, Lola, for a regular veterinary check-up, Linda was shocked to find out that her dog was already microchipped. Even though she was a passionate dog lover herself, she decided to put the dog’s happiness first.
New Family Reunites Dog With Old Family
On finding out the past owner’s details, Linda did not hesitate to contact them and give them back their dog. The original owners, Julia Arrango and her daughter, were more than happy to reunite with Lola. Seven years ago, Lola had dug a hole under the fence and escaped her old house.
Her first family was convinced that their dog had died, but the universe had different plans for them. Instead, the universe led their dog into the hands of the kind Linda who returned Lola to them without a second thought.
Deaf Dog Reunites With Its Original Family After 11 Years
The Covell family from Dorset lost their 3-month-old Jack Russell puppy, Crumpet, in 2010. Unfortunately, Crumpet was too young for the world at that time. The worried family spent weeks asking around and setting up flyers but to no avail.
It wasn’t until 11 years later that the family received a surprise call from a local vet. Mrs. Covell and her adult daughters, Elektra and Tallulah, were shell-shocked. Initially, Mrs. Covell thought that the vets were talking about one of their other dogs, but when they heard the name Crumpet, they had to look back 11 years.
Crumpet Overcame the Odds
Unfortunately, Crumpet had a heart murmur and tumors in both ears, rendering her completely deaf. Though she couldn’t hear, the family believes that Crumpet still remembers them and that she was happy to be reunited with them. They think previous owners abandoned her due to her condition, which led her to the emergency vet’s shelter.
The Covell family is determined to help Crumpet recover. They’re taking her to the best vets to get her the treatment she deserves after years of struggling on her own. This story is proof that time and distance do indeed make the heart grow fonder.
California Wildfires Separate Owner and Her Beloved Dogs.
The devastating California wildfires destroyed many homes and lives. Amid the chaos, dog owner Alexis lost her house. Her dogs, Moose and Bullet, got separated from her as well. One could only imagine the grief that struck Alexis’s heart at the heavy loss. Luckily, HSUS was able to shelter the affected animals.
Moose and Bullet just so happened to end up there. The temporary animal shelter housed the surviving animals while their owners recovered from the catastrophe. After a period where Alexis had to find a new place to live, she could finally reunite with Moose and Bullet happily.
The Christmas Holiday Tragedy
Gracie, a black pit bull with adorable white feet, had paddled out of her home in December 2019 when someone left the door wide open. Our pal Gracie walked right outside, and as a result, she went missing for nearly a year. The owners tried their best to locate the dog but sadly could not.
Gracie lived on the streets for months, where she was fed by random passersby that helped her survive the summer. Soon, after gaining her trust, the inhabitants led her to an animal shelter where she would be better taken care of.
Reunited With Gracie Was a Christmas Miracle
The owner, Kelly Shade, said that it was indeed a holiday miracle to have their lost dog back home right in time for Christmas the following year. The kind neighbors who fed her took her to a shelter where the staff scanned the microchip, leading Kelly to get a call saying that Gracie had been found.
When Gracie saw her owners, she couldn’t stop barking and wagging her tail from happiness. Gracie was lost and found around Christmas time and now stays put in her warm and cozy home. No more running away for Gracie.
A Startling Discovery in a Room Full of Junk
After their father, Leonel Almeida, died in 2013, Leandro and Lenita Almeida were clearing up their family home, including a room full of faulty electrical devices he planned to replace but never got around to. His children began to throw away everything.
Everything went smoothly until a neighbor inquired if the family was also getting rid of their tortoise. The Almeida were shocked when they identified the turtle between the pile of junk as Manuela, Lenita’s childhood pet who had vanished 30 years before. They thought that Manuela had disappeared from the house when repairs were being made in 1982.
Surviving Despite Her Circumstances
They had no idea that she had survived despite being surrounded by mounds of abandoned computer screens and damaged television sets. Red-footed tortoises are “very robust,” according to veterinarians, and may spend two or three years without nourishment, but this was a little more than just two or three years.
According to Almeida, Manuela survived her long captivity by eating termites or any other bugs she could find. The family was overwhelmed with emotions as seeing Manuela brought comfort to them during a difficult time.
One Hardship After Another
Rascal was his pet parent, Pamela’s, crutch through the difficult times. Life had thrown one hardship after another at Pamela, and it was getting pretty overwhelming. She had been struggling financially for a long time as she had to take care of her terminally ill siblings and their medical bills.
Tragedy struck, and both her siblings passed away, leaving Pamela heartbroken and depressed. To make matters worse, she could no longer keep her home as well. As hard as it was to decide on, Pamela had to let go of Rascal as well.
Returning to Reclaim Rascal When Financially Stable
She gave Rascal away to a rescue organization and hoped that she would come back for her dog one day when she was financially stable. Sadly, life had its way, and a wealthy family adopted Rascal. However, Rascal missed his mother and was not happy with the new owner. The new owners, perturbed, contacted the BFAS.
Meanwhile, Pamela, now in a better financial state, couldn’t find Rascal anywhere. So she reached out to BFAS at the same time as Rascal’s new owners. They came to a mutual understanding that no place else would be better for Rascal than with Pamela.
Freezing Winter and Unfamiliar Faces Frighten Puppy
Dudley, the puppy, was scared and apprehensive of the new house that he had been suddenly brought into. This was a recipe for disaster and not looking good for anyone. Within minutes of being brought in to meet his new family, Dudley slipped out into the chilling cold outside out of anxiousness.
The family searched for him in a state of panic. A young pup in an unknown neighborhood roaming around in the bone-chilling winter? The situation was beyond concerning. The family, unfortunately, couldn’t find him that night or the following five nights.
Forging a Bond Despite Being New Owners
With no other obvious option available to them, the family contacted an animal rescue organization and put out information about their missing pup along with a reward. After five days of searching high and low, a neighbor reported that they saw Dudley sitting in their backyard.
Finally, they were able to get a hold of him with the help of a recovery group. Though they had only brought Dudley home for a mere few minutes, the affection his family felt for him was immense, and upon noticing that, little by little, all of Dudley’s fear melted away.
Strangers Online Lead Couple to their Lost Dog
Bailey was on a walk with his owners in Castle Park, Frodsham, when he got spooked by something and started running. No matter how much the owners called and ran after him, he would not stop. The owners eventually lost sight of him and could not find him for days.
Bailey’s owner, Yasim, and her boyfriend put up messages on various social media platforms and groups. As the word spread, many contacted Yasim with news of her dog’s whereabouts. The couple tracked down the area where the dog was last seen and went to seek him out.
The Internet Community Helps Find Bailey
Bailey was found at a construction site, trapped. Yasim’s boyfriend climbed over the locked gates to rescue him. Unfortunately, they had to call the authorities and wait for two hours for the gates to open. Yasim describes the incident as one of the most emotional and happiest moments.
The couple was in tears as they talked about their surreal experience. They were overwhelmed by how many strangers extended a helping hand to find Bailey. It truly is possible for absolutely anything to happen when people on the internet come together.
Cruel Prank Separates Terrified Dog from Family
Abuse towards animals, whether sheltered or family pets, is nothing new. Like Norah, a little black dog who was spooked when some neighborhood boys thought that it would be funny to throw fireworks at her. Norah, terrified, ran away without knowing where she was going.
Volunteers from St. Helen’s Lost and Found organization were the ones that helped the owner, Michelle, to find Norah. It took them four days to find the petrified and traumatized dog. The organization shared its concerns regarding abuse towards animals and stated that no one should be so cruel as to harm any animal.