It’s always a difficult situation when a pet goes missing. You search everywhere, worried sick over where your pet could be.
But now, one couple’s missing dog is home safe, thanks to the kindness of the 13-year-old who found him.
Tyion Hepner, a 13-year-old boy from Harrisonburg, Virginia, was playing outside with his friends when he noticed an old dog named Jersey, wandering around by himself.
“I followed Jersey all the way and I noticed he was with nobody and he started following me,” Tyion told WHSV.
He didn’t know where the dog came from, but it was clear to the teen that he had no one else and needed his help. So, he brought the dog home with him — much to the surprise of his mom.
“She didn’t want him there,” Tyion said. “But then I just tried to beg her that we need to help him.”
However, the teen soon found out where Jersey came from. In a remarkable coincidence, Tyion overheard a man describing a missing dog to a police officer. He realized he was talking about Jersey.
It turns out, Jersey belonged to Amy Cerelli and her boyfriend. The two had been worried sick ever since their old dog ran off while they were cleaning the garage.
“We went out canvassing the neighborhood. We were out until about 3 in the morning with flashlights and we were squeaking his ball looking for him,” Amy told WHSV. “We had neighbors joining the search. We own a store in town and people were meeting us and taking flyers to put on mail boxes.”
She says the dog “has a hard time getting around,” so it’s definitely a relief that he ended up in safe hands. Tyion returned Jersey to the couple, and they were very grateful, both to the teen and everyone who helped their search.
What great news! We’re so glad this old dog is home safe, thanks to the help of a caring 13-year-old. Share this great story!