Inka, lost 10 years

Lost dog returns home after 10 years!
Peter's beloved pup was gone but not forgotten
Peter Pignolet, 43, Gold Coast, Qld
December 2012

I was 33 when I adopted Inka. I'll never forget scooping her into my arms when she was just eight weeks old. After I moved to Sydney from Airlie Beach in Qld, it was just the two of us. Every morning she'd howl mournfully when I left for work and sometimes she even cheekily jumped the fence to follow me.

One night, Inka didn't come home. The next morning I called countless vets, hoping that they'd picked her up during the night. Inka had been fitted with a microchip, so if anybody found her it would be easy to reunite us. But sadly, as the weeks turned to months, I realised that I simply had to accept the truth. Inka wasn't coming back.

Me with Chai, Barney and Inka

A year later I left Sydney, moving around the country a bit before finally settling on the Gold Coast. With a dog-shaped hole in my life I decided it was time for me to adopt another pet. Choosing a sweet German shepherd cross, Chai, he became my new partner in crime. That was until I met Janneke, 38, at a Christmas party three years ago.

When I discovered she was a dog lover too, I knew that she was the girl for me. 'This is Barney,' she said, smiling as she introduced me to her gorgeous Tasmanian sheepdog. Days later, we decided to introduce our barking brood. After a few growls, they soon became best mates.

Janneke’s a dog lover too – our pups were a big part of our wedding
When we tied the knot a year later, it was only right that Chai and Barney were there with us, handsomely dressed in tuxedos but I never forgot about Inka.

Then last year, three days before Christmas, something strange happened. I received a voice message from the Byron Bay council. 'We've got Inka.' The ranger explained that they'd tracked me down from her microchip after finding her caged in the back of a ute. She was weak and hungry but alive!

Driving straight down to the council, I could hardly believe my eyes when they carried my darling dog out to meet me. Weighing just 16 kilos, Inka was awfully frail, her skin was covered in sores and her teeth were rotten.

At home, I washed the filth from her fur and gave her a bowl of food. While she didn't respond to her name, she followed me around everywhere. Even though a decade had passed, it was obvious that we still had a very special connection.

A year on, Inka now weighs a healthy 30 kilos and has bonded well with the boys. I guess I'll never know just what happened to my friend for all that time - but one thing's for certain. With us, her future's bright.

Source: http://thatslife.com.au/Article/Real-Life/Real-Life-Stories/Lost-dog-returns-home-after-10-years