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