Buddy, shih tzu

Officers reunite dog missing for nearly 2 years with owner
by Ryan O'Donnell
Posted on March 4, 2013

PHOENIX -- A little dog missing since May 2011 was reunited with his human mom Monday morning, all thanks to two members of the Phoenix Police Department.

“My heart was racing, and I just described him and they said that it's Buddy,” Jessica Rowe said as she cuddled Buddy in her arms. “My daughter [who was 3 at the time] is like a social butterfly to humans and animals and so it was really detrimental, almost like losing a sibling, for her; she cried a lot, a lot."

What's remarkable, is that Buddy, who has only one eye, has been missing for almost two years.

“We had a monsoon in Mesa and it flew open my townhome gate while we were at work and Buddy ran away,” Rowe explained.

She did everything she could to find Buddy, but nothing came of it.

When weeks turned to months, it was hard for Rowe and her family not to fear the worst. Then, a couple of days ago, they got a surprise call from Phoenix police.

On Friday, a black and white Pekingese darted out of an apartment complex and into the side of a police car.

“That's when I heard this really horrible sound as if a large stone or some object hit the driver side of my patrol vehicle, looked out the rear view and saw the dog down on the road,” Officer Don Martin with Phoenix Police said.

Martin and another kind-hearted officer wrapped up the dog, took him to a vet and even paid the medical bill.

The vet discovered that Buddy had a microchip. That's what led officers to Rowe.

“Dirty little secret, we all like being police officers, because of moments like this make a difference; this is what you live for,” Martin said, watching Buddy and Rowe..

“They told me when I got down there that Officer Martin had paid the bill so Buddy could come home, so, in that, that is awesome. That's really cool,” Rowe said.

Martin said a citizen found Buddy about a week ago and had been caring for him until the little dog ran off and collided with his cruiser. It's not clear where Buddy had been before that.



Source: http://www.azfamily.com/news/Missing-dog-of-almost-2-years-returned-to-owner-194947711.html