Buddha, English bulldog

After Missing for 17 Days, ‘Buddha’ the Bulldog Safely Reunited with His Owners!
B-Town Blog
2/22/2013

‘Buddha,’ a red-brindled English Bulldog that went missing from the Gregory Heights neighborhood February 4, and today we’re happy to report some GREAT news – after missing for 17 days, he’s been found and safely reunited with his owners!

This is the second dog in the last month or so to go missing in the area, only to be successfully found after its Owners did massive publicity campaigns (posters, blog posts, Facebook, TV news, etc.) to help find it.

Candace shared this update on her Facebook Page on Friday, Feb. 22:

Yes, inquiring minds wants to know the story: Our deepest apologies for when Buddha came home, we all turned everything off, cuddled and SLEPT!!!

At 10am on February 21st 2013, 17 days after Buddha went missing, we received a phone call from a man saying he thinks he has our dog.

Their story is they bought Buddha from someone off the street for $400. The seller told the couple he found the dog.

They took him home thinking they found a new pet until they saw our lost Buddha posters everywhere.

The lady is a bus driver who sees the posters everyday. The man said he couldn’t take Buddha out for walks because there were posters everywhere. They finally called us to make sure it was our dog.

Around 3pm, we met them along with Burien police (to ensure our safety) and lo and behold, it was our Buddha! And yes, we cried the “ugly cry” where your whole body shook uncontrollably and you didn’t care who saw you!

We’re so grateful to each and every one of you who followed Buddha’s story and in our journey in bringing him home. We are very lucky and have learned a great lesson.

We will be making our thank you rounds in the days to come, a date with Buddha’s vet, removing Lost Buddha posters, getting him a new collar-GPS, reinforcing our fence and just enjoying our time with Buddha - our little guy who made such a big fuss!

Vet follow-up report: Buddha needed TLC - his skin was scabbed over/missing fur, his ropes (face wrinkle) was infected, nose was cracked. He also had bloody stool. Good thing his vet and staff took very good care of him and he's recovering soundly.

Source: http://b-townblog.com/2013/02/22/after-missing-for-17-days-buddha-the-bulldog-safely-reunited-with-his-owners/ and https://www.facebook.com/#!/BuddhaIsHome

Shorty, white fluffy dog

Family's joy after being reunited with dog they lost in wake of Hurricane Katrina SEVEN YEARS ago
By Daily Mail Reporter
23 September 2012

In a heartwarming tale of reunion this 15-year-old white dog is to be returned home to its family after becoming separated from them in the midst of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Shorty's owner's Louisiana home was so badly damaged by the storm that they were forced to surrender their pet pooch to caretakers as they struggled to rebuild their lives.

'They (the owners) were hit really hard during Katrina,' Dr. Blake Peurifoy told NBC News.

'They lost their home and didn’t have the ability to take care of their dog so they gave it away. They don’t know where it went from there.'

Shorty lived with the temporary family in North Carolina for seven years before going missing earlier this month.

They searched high and low for him but came up with nothing until a passer-by spotted the lost pup wandering down a Cabarrus County road.

Shorty was taken to Cabarrus Animal Hospital where veterinarians scanned his micro-chip and were able to get in touch with the original owners.

He was in a sad state, weighing around 15 pounds, his fur soiled and matted, one eye infected.

He also has a heart murmur and severe dental disease but the good news is that he's alive, much to the delight of his family.

Ecstatic: Shorty's owners were in tears when they were reunited with him

'Apparently they were ecstatic about the dog,' Dr. Blake Peurifoy said.

'They were crying and really happy, really interested in getting the dog back whether he lives another three months or three years.'

Dr Peurifoy is treating Shorty free of charge and will keep him in the hospital for a couple of weeks before sending him home.

'I know these people have had the past seven years or so a hard life, thank God I'm not in their position, and we just hope this serves as a sort of a bright spot for them because they certainly deserve it,' the veterinarian told wcnc.com.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207587/Family-reunited-lost-dog-surrendered-wake-Hurricane-Katrina-seven-years-ago.html

Max, lurcher

Bags of biscuits for lost dog’s return
Fri Feb 22, 2013

A dog stolen in December has been found and reunited with its owner who believes it escaped the thieves and was trying to make its way home.

HAPPY RETURN: Mr Dave Manley, with his lurcher, Max.

Max, a 12-year-old lurcher, went missing from his owner’s caravan in the Newark area the week before Christmas along with eight-month-old puppy, Moss.

Max was found wandering in Collingham about a week ago.

His owner, Mr David Manley, said Max was in an appalling condition with sores on his skin and was severely under nourished.

Mr Manley, who has lived in the caravan for more than 15 years, said he had been out for a few hours and returned home to find the doors had been forced open and both dogs gone.

He suspected both pets had been stolen to be used for hare coursing and did not expect to see them again. He was shocked and surprised to have Max back.

“It’s like a miracle,” Mr Manley said.

“He is having two cans of food a day and all the biscuits he wants.

“From where he was found, it looks like he was trying to make his way back home.

“People from the village recognised him from posters we put up, and got in touch with me.”

Mr Manley said he was desperate to get Moss back, who is Max’s son, because he was concerned about his condition and that he was being used for hare coursing despite being too young.

He said: “Moss is out there somewhere.

“I’m really worried after the way Max was. Why would you steal a dog if you are not going to look after it?

“At eight months Moss shouldn’t be running. He should be being pampered.”

Mr Manley said he was devastated to lose the dogs.

He said: “They are like my babies. It’s been horrible.

“When a dog dies you can come to terms with it. Not knowing where they are just breaks your heart.”

Source: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Bags-of-biscuits-for-lost-dogs-return-

Quint, Brittany Spaniel

Lost Dog Story Has Happy Ending

By Lorraine Swanson

January 30, 2012

Like Lassie’s tearful reunion with Roddy McDowell at the end of Lassie Come Home, Quint—the Brittany spaniel whose been missing since Jan. 21—was reunited with his owner Monday morning.

Quint, the missing Brittany spaniel, is reunited with his owner on Monday.

A reader forwarded the notice of the missing Oak Lawn Brittany spaniel that was posted on the Lost Dog Illinois Facebook page last Monday. The notice, however, didn’t have a picture of the missing pooch, so we called Don Moust to see if we could help.

“Everything was due to Patch,” Moust said. “I’m not computer literate. It was all due to you helping crop pictures and getting them on the Lost Dogs Facebook page.”

Within minutes of posting last week’s story about the missing pooch, Moust said he received a call from a man who spotted Quint at 127th Street and Kedzie.

“His girlfriend had emailed him the story,” Moust said. “As he was reading it he looked up and saw Quint.”

The man called Moust and together, they looked for Quint, who by that time had taken off, for over an hour.

People who had seen Quint’s story on Patch and Lost Dog Illinois phoned in with numerous sightings of the dog, who was spotted in Blue Island, Mt. Greenwood, St. Casmir’s Cemetery and Mt. Olivet.

Whenever Moust got a call, he’d take his Golden Retriever, Della, and they’d go out and search for Quint.

“I tried to use dog sense,” Moust said. “I’ve looked at more railroad tracks and power lines this week.”

There were no more reported sightings after last Wednesday. By Sunday, after a sleepless week and hours spent driving around the Oak Lawn area, Moust was beginning to give up hope.

“I was so tired I was driving like I was drunk,” Moust said. “I came to the conclusion that maybe Quint wasn’t supposed to be my dog.”

This morning (Monday), Moust contacted Cook County South Suburban Animal Control. The person at animal control told him that officers were chasing “a brown cocker spaniel” near 159th Street and Harlem Avenue.

“It didn’t sound like Quint, but I thought if I could save someone else’s pet, I would drive over there,” Moust said.

Within moments of arriving at the Tinley Park-Oak Forest border, Moust saw Quint walking down the middle of the street. Moust stopped his car and called for the dog. Skittish and confused, Quint took off.

“I said, ‘Quint, please come to me,’” Moust said.

The dog recognized his owner and came to Moust, and a horrible week ended happily.

Quint doesn’t appear worse for wear. Moust said the dog was “very skinny.”

Source: http://oaklawn.patch.com/articles/lost-dog-story-has-happy-ending#photo-9005077

Bella, lost after a house fire

Lancaster SPCA reunites fire victim with lost dog
by Trang Do
2/21/2013

A bittersweet moment in the midst of tragedy, as a Lancaster man who lost his sister and niece in a gut-wrenching fire, is reunited with his sister’s dog on Thursday morning.

The Stone family had been looking for the dog, named Bella, since the fire on Monday morning.

“Come here girlie! That’s her! That’s her!” said William Stone, Jr. after seeing Bella for the first time in three long, difficult days.

The man and dog, two survivors of a tragic house fire, two survivors who desperately needed each other.

The overwhelming sadness in the dog’s eyes mimicking the same in the man’s eyes.

“She knows, she knows she lost her mommy,” Stone said.

The fire killed Stone’s sister Pauline Stone and Leilani Roman,6, a little girl the Stones loved and considered their niece.

Monday morning, as the fire raged, was the last time anyone saw Bella.

“She was going to go back in, but I caught her,” Stone said. “She followed me back out, then we couldn’t find her. But I had to find her.”

Lancaster County SPCA Founder Susan Martin was hoping for a miracle.

Family members had called the shelter every day since the fire, looking for the dog.

They even gave Martin a picture, so she could identify Bella if she was brought in.

“The first thing I said is before it even got out of the car was, ‘I know the dog! That’s the dog from the fire!’” Martin said.

Lancaster Police Officer Juanita Martinez-Bender had no idea what precious cargo she was carrying when she picked Bella up on a stray dog call and dropped her off at the SPCA.

“It just brings joy to you. Knowing that you can, that you participated in giving someone back something that was lost and it makes you feel good,” she said.

“That’s why we’re here,” said Martin. “We don’t just take stray dogs. We’re also here to reunite dogs with their owners.”

No one on this earth is more grateful for that than William Stone.

“I lost my niece, she’s an angel,” he said. “I lost my sister. At least I’ve got something that belongs to her.”

When Ofc. Martinez-Bender found her, Bella had a cut on her body and had to be checked out by a vet.

She is expected to be okay and the Lancaster County SPCA is covering her veterinary bills.

Source: http://fox43.com/2013/02/21/lancaster-spca-reunites-fire-victim-with-lost-dog/#axzz2M4u3r0cX

Kane, husky mix

Missing Phoenix dog found in Oregon reunited with owner
by Crystal Cruz
December 23, 2012

PHOENIX -- Leanne Saunders' Christmas present finally arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Saturday.

Saunders' dog, Kane, is back home after he went missing from her backyard around nine months ago.

She doesn't know how he got out but suspects he was stolen.

On Thursday, a woman from the Pioneer Humane Society in Oregon called Saunders and said they found Kane wandering the streets with a collar and leash on.

Kane is micro chipped.

Saunders didn't have the money to ship her dog home.

She works for Petco and asked her company for help.

Dan Phipps, a Petco manager in Walla Walla, Washington, said they stepped up and helped pay for Kane to get home.

"We were going to make sure that dog got home for Christmas," said Phipps.

Kane spent four and a half years with Saunders and she plans on keeping him a lot longer that.



Source: http://www.azfamily.com/news/Phoenix-missing-dog-found-in-Oregon-reunited-with-owner-184579721.html

Charlie, hound

Dog lost for six months reunited with owners
Tuesday, 19 Feb 2013

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - On August 31, Heidi Thompson's dog Charlie went missing from her family's home in Grabill.  He was chained up outside and had gone missing before, but when Thompson and her husband couldn't find Charlie in his usual spots, they knew this time was different.

Leaders with Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control reunited Charlie with his owners Friday.

The Thompson family moved and got another dog, but they never forgot Charlie.  They say they put up lost dog flyers and kept looking.  Heidi even said she would occasionally hear barking she thought was from Charlie.  Still they couldn’t find their dog, which they say was difficult to comprehend.

“It was hard for our daughter and for our son to realize that, you know, is he going to come home?  Is he not going to come home?  Is he ok?” Heidi said.  “We kept hoping that someday he might get brought back to us.”

But on Thursday, six months after Charlie went missing, the Thompson family got a phone call from Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control (FWACC) .  Someone anonymously dropped a dog off overnight.  After a health screening, officials found a microchip and identified him as Charlie, the Thompson’s missing dog.

“They said that it was a German Shepherd and they mentioned the name Charlie,” Heidi explained.  “My husband said, ‘Oh my gosh, they have our dog.’”

The next day, Heidi and her two-year-old daughter Victoria went to pick up Charlie.  Allison Miller, adoption supervisor with FWACC, caught the reunion on video .

“The dog was just ecstatic,” Miller said.  “He ran right up to the little girl, gave her a kiss on the face, and had such a waggy tail.”

Heidi said she had to fight back tears because she was so excited to see Charlie again.  But she said the most amazing part of the reunion was that Charlie and Victoria remembered each other.

Someone had taken good care of Charlie while he was away.  But for some reason, they decided to drop him off at FWACC.  The anonymous caretaker left a note saying they had the dog since September of 2012.

With the entire family united and back home again Friday, Heidi said Victoria and Charlie are inseparable.

“Victoria will not let Charlie leave her side,” Heidi said.  “She won't go to bed unless Charlie's in her room.  Whatever room Charlie's in, she has to be in it.”

What once was lost now is found for the Thompson family.  They said it’s all thanks to their decision to get Charlie microchipped.

“Especially now getting him back, it's paid off tremendously having him chipped and I would encourage anybody to do it,” Heidi said.

Miller said each year, FWACC reunites hundreds of pets with their owners thanks to microchips.  They’re said to cost between $25 and $40.  Pet owners can get them at any animal shelter or veterinarian.

Source: http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/dog-lost-six-months-reunited-with-owner

BeBe, small black dog

Stolen dog reunited with family
By Rebecca Opie
Feb. 19, 2013

After going missing more than two years ago, little BeBe has been reunited with her family, thanks to her microchip.

BeBe was adopted from the RSPCA in 2011 and as part of their adoption program, she was desexed and microchipped.

She soon became a member of the family and travelled everywhere with them.

However, on a trip to Whyalla in 2011, she disappeared.

BeBe's owners Marrianne and Scott looked everywhere for her and left her details at the Whyalla City Council, RSPCA and vets but she was never found.

BeBe's owner Marianne said she had a red harness on and a medallion with their phone number, but she disappeared without a trace.

"We looked for her for about three months from her disappearance," she said.

"It was devastating for our children Missie and Hadassah."

Then last week, BeBe was found wandering the streets of Whyalla and was taken to the Whyalla Veterinary Clinic on McDouall Stuart Avenue where she was scanned for a microchip.

From the microchip number, her owner's details were retrieved and Marrianne and Scott were told that BeBe had been found.

Dr Melville-Smith said that BeBe was clearly marked with tattoos that showed she was desexed and microchipped, so it would have been obvious to whoever had taken Bebe, that she had an owner.

"Had the people who had taken BeBe made any enquiries, BeBe would have been reunited with her family much sooner," Dr Melville-Smith said

"Some people have no scruples about taking another person's dog and are oblivious to the trauma and heartache they cause in the process."

Marrianne said she was so happy when she learned of BeBe's recovery.

"I was against microchips before this," she said

"I felt it was weird having an electronic chip implanted in an animal."

Marrianne said she can now see how a microchip helps people get their lost pets back.

Dr Melville-Smith said they get excellent recovery rates for lost dogs and cats that have a microchip implanted and that is was an essential part of pet ownership.

"A microchip gives the best chance of your pets safe return if it becomes separated from you," he said.

"Unfortunately we often hear of lost pets where their owners were "gonna fit a microchip" and didn't.

"The advice is, fit a microchip to your pet today ... gonna doesn't get your pet returned."

Source: http://www.whyallanewsonline.com.au/story/1308790/stolen-dog-reunited-with-family/?cs=1550

Leia, black lab

Dog shot in nose reunited with owner
by Reed Andrews
February 18, 2013,

Surry County, Va. – A dog was shot in the nose in Surry County with the bullet ending up near her spinal cord

Little Leia was reunited with her owner, and Kristin Kessinger couldn’t hold back the tears.

Leia, who ran away early Sunday morning and was shot later that night, is now back in her arms.

“I really didn’t think she was going to make it,” Kessinger said.

After the uncertainty and fear, the licks from Leia mean that much more. Kristin didn’t know if she’d ever get this type of four-legged love again.

Now they’re reunited and the worry is gone. It’s been replaced by questions like who did this?

“My first reaction, honestly when I found out she was shot, was anger,” Kessinger said. “Because who could shoot a dog?”

Leia was found by Jay Gunn, who works with the non-profit “Dogs Deserve Better.”

When he first saw her, he didn’t even know if Leia would survive the trip to the hospital.

“She was in shock, bleeding from the snout, as well as the nose,” Gunn said. “And having a difficult time with congealing, blood congealing in her airways.”

X-rays show pieces of the bullets that went through her head.

“The fact that she was found as far away as she was, even though she was not really far from the house is extremely unusual,” Gunn said.

Leia is recovering well. She’s on medication and because of it, the two-year-old isn’t as hyper as she normally is, but the pup is in good spirits.

Dog out of surgery after being shot in nose

She’s having some issues breathing that will be monitored over the next couple of days and Leia has a scar on her nose from where the bullet went through.

“She’s got stories to tell all her other doggie friends,” Gunn said.


Source: http://wtkr.com/2013/02/18/dog-shot-in-nose-reunited-with-owner/

Rowdy, Jack Russell terrier

A Christmas miracle: Dog rescued after falling into 12-foot pit
by Michelle Boudin, WCNC/NBC Charlotte
Posted on December 25, 2012

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Mary Kay Taylor said she was the lucky one when she rescued Rowdy three years ago from a shelter.

“He is very loyal and very attached to me. I think because he had some previous trauma,” Taylor said.

So she made sure to spoil him, often taking him for walks on the campus of Davidson College near where she lives.

“I walk him usually well into campus and let him off the leash for maybe a five minute run around. Looking for squirrels is his favorite thing in the whole wide world to do,” she said.

But on Sunday he got carried away.

“In a matter of a seconds he was not within my vision and I heard this yelp noise and right away I thought, 'that’s not good.'”

But she had no idea what happened and no idea how to find the 8-year-old Jack Russell.

“I spent about an hour-and-a-half, two hours looking, looking, looking--calling his name,” Taylor said.

She posted fliers on every campus light post, and the Davidson online newspaper even posted the story. She spent a lonely night without him, wondering if he was gone.

“When you come home and he’s not there to greet you and all that kind of stuff, it’s sad,” she said.

Despondent, she was stunned when she received a phone call early Christmas morning--36 hours after Rowdy had disappeared.

He'd somehow fallen down a 12-foot pit in the well of a window outside the campus library.

“I think he jumped and down he went,” she said.

Tuesday morning, a man out walking his own dog heard Rowdy crying for help. He called the campus police. They then called the fire department and a few hours later Rowdy was snuggling by the fire in time to enjoy some new Christmas chews from Santa.

“It’s a miracle. It’s a Christmas miracle and I feel so grateful,” said Taylor.



Source: http://www.wcnc.com/home/Dog-rescued--int-ime-for-Christmas-after-falling-down-12-foot-pit-184771931.html

Blackjack, shepherd

Wellington rescue group reunites owner with dog stolen 10 months ago
By Toni-Ann Miller, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, Feb. 15, 2013

WELLINGTON — Valentine’s Day presents come in various shapes, sizes and fuzzy colors. Robert Moreland’s came with soulful eyes, a wet nose and a horrible scar.

Tears ran from the 71-year-old Air Force veteran’s eyes when he talked about the moment Blackjack walked into the room. His lips quivered as more tears threatened to burst. He had been reunited with his German shepherd 10 months after the animal was stolen from his truck.

“I had given up,” Moreland said. “Not because I wanted to, but because I know evil people are in this world, and they don’t care.”

The dog’s neck testified to his claim. Blackjack had worn the same green plastic collar for so long that it had to be cut off with a hacksaw. From his neck hung a chain to which a piece of meat was attached. Under them was a slice-like wound.

Blackjack, his rescuers fear, had been used in dog fighting — a tool to test the fighting instincts of other dogs, risking his life in the process.

“We’ll never know what they were using him for,” said Eric Weinberger, a volunteer at Big Dog Ranch Rescue. “But the only reason he would have that collar on him is if he was used as a bait dog.”

Dogs have long been special to Moreland, a Miramar resident who said he has owned them ever since he was a child and refers to Blackjack as his best friend. He said he loved his animals so much that his wife of 49 years once complained that he never cried when he had to leave her, but being away from his dog brought him to tears.

Moreland said he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since leaving the Air Force in 1981 after 20 years of service. He said that every time things got rough, or something bad happened, the effects of PTSD would overcome him and put a damper on all the other good things that were in his life. But Blackjack helped — until they were separated.

Moreland was at a Home Depot in Miramar in April and had left the dog he’s had since Blackjack was a pup on the front passenger seat. When he returned, the dog was gone. Moreland called police, but they could not help him find the animal, who had a chip with a contact number for its owner.

“It hurt me to my heart,” Moreland said, and his pain lingered. He said he cried and often wandered in hopes of finding the dog. He dealt with health complications, but amid those, he still kept searching for Blackjack.

Moreland finally had to give in and get another dog, Rommel, but that didn’t take away his sadness. Moreland said he would still mention Blackjack in his prayers.

Then Weinberger, a Palm Beach Gardens resident, got a call Feb. 7 from a woman who lives at the Century Village senior-housing community in Pembroke Pines. She said she’d been feeding a stray dog occasionally for about three months. Weinberger told her to detain the dog the next time it came by and he would come get it. The woman called Monday, but the dog had escaped. She called again Wednesday night, and this time, Weinberger picked up the animal.

It was Blackjack. Through the chip, Big Dog Ranch Rescue traced him to Moreland.

Learning what kind of shape the dog was in hurt Moreland. “They know better, but they’re selfish. They want everything for themselves,” Moreland said of the people who had Blackjack. “All they want is money, wealth and fame.”

But Moreland is grateful to the “good people” of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, who cleaned the animal up and contacted him Wednesday night and are housing Blackjack until he has surgery Friday. Weinberger said Moreland should be able to take Blackjack home by Sunday.

Thursday’s reunion made for a timely Valentine’s Day gift.

Moreland sat beside Blackjack in the room at the dog rescue. The animal immediately went to his side and curled up next to him. The two played. Their re-acquaintance was so quick it seemed like they had never been apart. Because, really, they hadn’t. Moreland’s heart was always with his best friend.



“I was so pleased (to find him),” Moreland said.

Source: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/wellington-rescue-group-reunites-owner-with-dog-st/nWP9g/
Additional video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg1FjVSlXpw

Scooby, Australian Kelpie

Stolen dog found and reunited with homeless man
By Tamara
February 12, 2013

Scooby, a dog stolen from a homeless man in December last year, has been found. Scooby was discovered chained up to a railing at a train station 124 miles away from Oxford, where she was stolen. She was snatched from Carl McDonald while he slept on the porch of a local church.

Carl's emotional appeal for help to find his beloved 4-year-old Australian Kelpie was spread across the United Kingdom and eventually she was spotted by a dog warden at Weymouth train station.

Luckily, Scooby was microchipped and her identity could be confirmed. Carl was delighted to have his best friend back. He told Oxford Mail, "It was horrible without her. I can’t believe it I am just over the moon that she has been found."

Although Carl is happy to have his best friend back he's terrified that Scooby will be stolen again. He's decided to not take her back until he finds a place for them both to live. Last year they had a place, but it suffered a fire. Scooby was Carl's lifesaver during the fire and pulled him out to safety.

Until he finds a new home, a close friend will take care of Scooby. Carl said, "I'm just too terrified someone might take her again. I don’t want to live on the street with her so I am trying to find space at a shelter with room for a dog."

He said that Scooby has lost some weight, has worms, fleas and an ear infection but is otherwise okay.

Thames Valley Police said that no one has been charged over Scooby's theft. Scooby's thieves probably left her at the train station because her disappearance drew so much media attention.

Source: http://www.dogheirs.com/tamara/posts/2770-stolen-dog-found-and-reunited-with-homeless-man

Zorro, great dane

Zorro returns! Family's joy as Great Dane who was stolen by burglars shows up on their doorstep A YEAR laterZorro vanished from owner Marcie Trogdon's home in November 2011
By Matt Blake
11 February 2013

A Great Dane has returned to his owner a year after he was snatched by burglars during an opportunistic raid on her home..

The heart-warming tale began when Zorro, who weighs 170lbs, vanished from owner Marcie Trogdon's house, in Jamestown, Virginia, in November 2011 after she popped out, leaving the door on the latch.

When she returned minutes later, she realised thieves had struck and Zorro was nowhere to be seen.
'A laptop or a TV can be replaced. Zorro is like a family member. All my kids are grown, so he’s my baby,' she told Fox News at the time.

Nice to see you again: Zorro, who weighs 170lbs, vanished from owner Marcie Trogdon's home, in Jamestown, Virginia, after she popped out of her house, leaving the door on the latch

Despite a far-reaching 'missing dog campaign' and extensive police search, he was never found and Marcie was forced to move on with her life, even buying a new dog in a bid to fill the void left by Zorro.

Then on Wednesday night, a flea-bitten and mangy-looking stray who looked remarkably like Zorro appeared in her back yard.

'[My neighbour] was like "Do you know who’s dog this is?" And I said, "what dog?" and about that time Zorro comes running around the corner and I said "Oh my God! That’s Zorro",' she told the station.

'He immediately came up to the fence and as soon as I let him in he knew he was home.'

Exactly what happened to Zorro in the 16 months he was missing remains a mystery.

A trip to the vet revealed he had contracted ringworm and was overweight, but suffered no serious illness.

'My emotion was "I'm so glad", then "oh my God what's wrong with his skin?"' said Dr Joe Kinarney.

'We don't know what's happened in that time, we don't know the exposure to parasite or to diseases,' the vet added.

Trogdon thinks someone stole her dog and brought him back when his care became too expensive.

But she says she doesn't care what happened to him. She is just glad to have her dog at home again.

'I just can't believe that my boy is back,' she said, tears of joy filling her eyes.

His story is remarkably similar to the 1993 movie Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey, that follows an American bulldog, a golden retriever and a Himalayan cat as they trek across America on a quest to return to their human family.

The film, which is a remake of the 1963 Disney classic The Incedible Journey, starred Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche and Sally Field as the voices of Chance, Shadow and Sassy and was so popular it spawned sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco.

The trio encounter a string of dangers including falling into a torrid river, facing a hungry grizzly bear, surviving a chance encounter with an angry porcupine and escaping from an animal pound.

After learning to overcome adversity by working together they become friends and finally return home to their owners.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276945/Homeward-hound-Incredible-return-Great-Dane-showed-owners-doorstep-A-YEAR-stolen-burglars.html

Bucky, black lab

Dog Makes 500-Mile Journey Home
By Eliza Murphy
Sep 4, 2012 1:14pm

Bucky, a 3-year-old black Labrador, somehow traveled 500 miles from Virginia all the way home to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to be reunited with his owner, Mark Wessells.

Video Available

“I thought I was going to cry, but I didn’t. He definitely recognized me instantly,” Wessells told TV station WPDE. “It’s just crazy he made it down here on his own. You know it’s like homeward bound is what I’m thinking.”

This past January, Wessells had to leave the dog with his father  in Winchester, Va., because dogs were banned from where Wessells lives in Myrtle Beach.

But Bucky wouldn’t have it.  Somehow, the dog managed to travel all the way home to South Carolina,  by himself.

Two weeks ago, local resident Brett Gallagher found Bucky wandering through his “Carolina Forest” neighborhood, noticed he got along pretty well with his own yellow lab, Hannah, and took him in.

“Apparently the dog came up to them at 2 a.m. when Brett was out walking their dog. They were kind of scared at first, but he was friendly as can be. Brett put some weight on him. He was pretty emaciated when he first got him,” Lexie Grant from Grand Strand Animal Hospital told ABC News.

Gallagher looked on Craigslist and other local postings for ads that described the missing dog, but found nothing. So the temporary owner took Bucky into the animal hospital to get a physical done. This is when the veterinarian, Dr. Amanda Thomas, found his microchip revealing Bucky’s real name and his owner’s phone number.

“He was going nuts when the vet called him by his real name. His hears went right up,” Gallagher told ABC News.

As soon as Wessells got the phone call that Buck was at the nearby animal hospital, he made his way there to be reunited with his long-lost Labrador.

It’s still unclear exactly how Bucky made his way home, but Dr. Thomas thinks it may be due to the dog’s keen sense of smell. Apparently when Bucky returned to his owner’s house “he was rolling all around. He was just laying in all of his blankets just soaking up his smell,” Grant said.

Source with video: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/09/dog-makes-500-mile-journey-home/

BonZ, pomeranian

Dog Missing For 10 Months Reunited With Family
Reporter: KKTV Updated:
Feb 08, 2013

A dog that has been missing for 10 months has now been reunited with his Colorado Springs family. The twist is how the dog was found.

Video also available with article

BonZ, an adorable little Pomeranian, is happy to be home again after he was lost for a long time.

“He really hasn't left my side too much, he's kind of clinging,” said Jill Bass, BonZ’s owner.

BonZ has been missing since last April. Jill Bass and her family did everything they could to find him, even posting a Craigslist ad.

"Sometimes I would just sit in my car and start crying,” said Bass.

Then just a few days ago, BonZ was brought into the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region as a stray dog.

One of their employees from customer service, Melinda Lawson, recognized the dog from his picture on the Craigslist ad.

That’s when the Lost and Found Coordinator, Tamara Egley, got to work and tracked down the family.

"It's awesome for us, it reminds us why we are here. We worry about these dogs, we know they’re missing for long periods of time, and it just brings us a lot of joy to reunited these animals and see how happy the animals are and the owners are,” said Egley.

"I couldn't even believe it really. But at the same time somewhere inside we knew he was gonna come back,” said Bass. “It’s just such a blessing to have him home.”

Jill and her family adopted BonZ a few years ago from a puppy mill. They adopted him through the National Mill Dog Rescue Association.

So in a way, their faithful family pet has now been rescued twice.

Bass can’t thank everyone at the Humane Society enough, and all the people who helped them along the way to bring their BonZ home.

“Just that a little 10 pound dog can bring so much happiness, and togetherness, and just human kindness,” said Bass.

The humane society said they quickly found the dog's owner thanks to a lost report the family filled out with them, and the dog's microchip. They encourage all owners to take the same steps.

Source: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Dog-Missing-For-Ten-Months-Reunited-With-Family-190329771.html

MJ, bulldog

Stolen dog reunited with owner after three weeks
Leyton
Last updated Thu 7 Feb 2013


A bulldog that was stolen in a violent raid by burglars, has been reunited with its owner after the beloved puppy was rescued by police.

MJ the English Bulldog puppy

The canine was found 50 miles away from Maria Fodor's home in Leyton during a drugs raid on an address in Basingstoke.

The pet was snatched by robbers who broke into her house wielding weapons including an axe, leaving her thinking she would never see her dog again.

Ms Fodor, 40, said: “He was very happy to see me again, and I am so pleased to have him back. I take him everywhere.”

She described the theft as “scary”, adding: “I cried so much, but then three days ago in the morning my phone rang and it was the police. They said, Maria, MJ is here."

Wardens from organisation DogLost checked the puppy’s microchip and discovered he had been reported stolen

Source: http://www.itv.com/news/london/update/2013-02-07/stolen-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-three-weeks/

G, pit bull

Washington Family Robo-calls Neighborhood Over Missing Dog
by Zahid Arab, KING 5 News
February 2, 2013

BURIEN, Wash -- A family’s dog disappeared in Burien days ago, now his family is going great lengths to find him.

“He’s our kid and we really want him back, we miss him a lot,” said Gina Bourdage, the owner.

Aside from hanging signs, Gina Bourdage hired a company to send out a “Pet Amber Alert.” She paid $150 for a company to call 1250 homes in the area.

“I think it’s a little preposterous that people can send something like that out for just a pet,” said Seth Von Wald, who lives nearby.

The calls started around dinner time Thursday.

“People that really care, they’re going to look at the signs. People that don’t care shouldn’t be forced to care by getting calls,” he said.

Others disagree.

“People love their pets, they’re like children,” said Winnifred Thayer, who also lives in the area.

“I guess whatever works for them, works. I just let it go to the machine,” she said.

Bourdage says aside from a few angry responses, the majority of them were positive.

“We might have bothered a few people, which I didn’t intend. I wish we hadn’t but I’m really glad for the one person that did call and described our dog to a T,” said Bourdage.

That tip led them to the intersection of 8 Ave South and S 136th Street in Burien, where Bourdage is hanging additional signs.

“We’re going to find him,” she said.

“I’m sitting by the phone every second, holding onto hope, hoping for more,” said Bourdage.

“G” is micro chipped but wasn’t wearing tags the day he disappeared. If his trail runs cold, Bourdage is prepared to buy another round of robo-calls.



Update: Shortly after this story aired on KING 5 News, the couple received a call from a viewer who found their dog. They have since been reunited.

Source: http://www.kgw.com/home/Wash-family-robo-calls-neighborhood-over-missing-dog--189520061.html

Clyde, beagle

Beagle Found in Woods, Reunited With Family 41 Days After Disappearing
By Pei-Sze Cheng
Friday, Feb 1, 2013

Forty-one days after Clyde the beagle went missing on Long Island, the beloved pet has been reunited with his owners, who were displaced by Sandy.

On Long Island a family is celebrating the return of a missing member. The family dog disappeared in the chaos caused by Sandy, but tonight he's exactly where he should be.

Christina Yevoli and her son Alfonso were staying with Yevoli's mother in Levittown after being flooded out of their Massapequa home during Sandy. Clyde jumped the fence Dec. 18 and never returned.

The 10-year-old mixed beagle-hound had jumped the fence once before in their old Massapequa house but came back within minutes. This time, because he was in a new home, he may have become disoriented, said Yevoli.

"After three or four days, I didn't think we would find him," said Yevoli.  "I thought maybe someone took him in for themselves or worse -- that he got hit by a car. But I never gave up. I just kept going and going."

Yevoli posted missing dog posters and went to neighboring towns to do the same. But it was her Facebook page, Bring Clyde Home, that got the attention of people who could help.

Lisa Dwyer saw her page and joined in the search, enlisting the help of her cousin Denise May, a dog rescuer.

"When we think of scent, we think he's smelling for his owner," said May. "But each town has its own smell, the streets smell different. I think he was trying to find something familiar to him."

Once Clyde became lost, he may have tracked his way back to his familiar old home in Massapequa. A few days ago, a dog tracker was able to locate Clyde in the woods near the Southern State Parkway in North Massapequa, not far from his pre-Sandy home.

Forty-one days later, and 20 pounds lighter, he is now getting reacquainted with his family.

"I couldn't have done it by myself," said  Yevoli. "People who I don't even know are still calling me. I can't believe the amount of people who have called me and cared about a dog."

Source: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Missing-Dog-Clyde-Beagle-Found-Long-Island-Massapequa-Pre-Sandy-Home-189309331.html?_osource=Newltr_Station_Hdlines_NY

Ronnie, chihuahua

Family reunited with dog after thinking he was stolen
By Patrick Preston KATU News
Feb 1, 2013

GRESHAM, Ore. – A family got their dog back Friday three days after burglars broke into their home.

It turns out Ronnie the chihuahua may not have been stolen after all. He was recovered at a home about a block and a half away from where the Farfan family thought he'd been stolen.

Now Gresham police said it is more likely he ran away during Tuesday's burglary.

But for the Farfan family, all that mattered was getting Ronnie back.

Their neighbor, Tammy Fredericks, said she spotted Ronnie running on Northeast Halsey Street on Thursday and then took him inside.

She posted an ad on Craigslist with Ronnie's photo asking if anyone knew the owner.

Several KATU viewers who had seen KATU's story about Ronnie and his family Thursday night notified the station about the posting. And Friday afternoon, Ronnie was back in the hands of his owners.

"Oh my gosh. I'm so, so happy," said Maria Farfan when Fredericks gave them their dog.

"This is amazing," Fredericks said. "This is just wonderful to see the joy on their face and to see him still alive. It's a blessing to have him home with his family."

The Farfan family said they plan to put a microchip in Ronnie so that he can be found if he disappears again.



There is still no word on who broke into their house.

Source: http://www.katu.com/news/local/Family-reunited-with-dog-after-thinking-he-was-stolen-189475461.html

Kanga, chihuahua

Seven Years Later, Lost Dog Returned To Owner
By Andrea Lucia, CBS 11 News
January 29, 2013

DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Seven years after losing her Chihuahua, Morgan Littrell still wonders what happened to her. “I still think about her a lot.  It’s so weird,” she said.

Two year old Kanga escaped from home during a winter storm. “I knew she couldn’t have gone far. She was little, and it was cold,” said Littrell.

Distraught, she took pictures door to door and put up posters of the little dog.

Even now, she finds herself taking a second look at any stray or lost Chihuahuas, hoping to recognize an old friend.

“I miss her, and I’ve thought about the day I’d get that phone call,” she said.

At Dallas Animal Services, pictures of lost pets like Kanga fill an entire wall.  Lost and Found coordinator, Tony Villareal, scans lost and stray animals for microchips, hoping to identify them and return them to their owners.

Monday, he got a hit on a small dog and dialed the phone number registered to its chip to let the owner know the dog was safe.

“There’s this moment of silence, and all of sudden this burst of tears,” said Villareal.

“I just lost it,” said Littrell. Arriving at Dallas Animal Services, she found the pet she’d lost all those years ago.

“It’s emotional. It’s strange, but it’s exciting,” she said. A little fatter and a little older, Kanga isn’t sharing stories of where she was all this time.



She seems happy to be headed back home, no longer a lost dog.

Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/01/29/dog-found-after-7-years-missing/

Oreo, Boston terrier

Lost Dog Reunited With Owner After Five Years
By Laura Dudnick
February 1, 2013

A Palo Alto man was reunited with his dog Tuesday after the pet had been lost for five years, according to the Peninsula Humane Society.

The dog was found in Daly City and brought to the Peninsula Humane Society, 

where he was scanned for a microchip that turned up a positive result.

The Boston Terrier, named “Oreo,” was lost near Cubberly Park in Palo Alto five years ago and found this week in Daly City with what was believed to be an old, untreated leg injury.

A Daly City resident who found the dog wandering near a Security Public Storage on Hyde Court called the Peninsula Humane Society.

A humane society officer picked up and dog and immediately noticed the leg injury, and brought the animal to the San Mateo shelter for treatment.

A staff veterinarian noted the dog's back leg muscle had atrophied, indicating an old, untreated leg injury. Staff scanned the dog for a microchip and once it was detected, contacted the microchip company for the owner’s contact information.

The Peninsula Humane Society reached Palo Alto resident Brandon Springerwho said the dog, “Oreo,” belonged to his grandmother who passed away last year.

The dog escaped from the yard two years ago when a gate was left open and the family surmised he ran to nearby Cubberley Park, where he went for daily walks.

At the time, Cubberley has hosting a soccer tournament and the family guessed a spectator picked him up. In addition to being microchipped, Oreo had a collar and ID tag with his owner’s contact information.

Mr. Springer was reportedly shocked to receive the call Tuesday, according to the humane society.

“This story illustrates the importance of microchips, which can be a lost pet’s ticket home,” said PHS/SPCA spokesperson Scott Delucchi.

“Too many people don’t know how inexpensive this can be – we implant pets for $30, no appointment necessary – and how easy of a process it is. Hopefully, this happy ending will cause more people to consider this permanent form of identification for their pets.”

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

Source: http://pacifica.patch.com/articles/lost-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-five-years-8b32fe7b