It’s always heartbreaking when a pet goes missing, but it’s important to not lose hope. Sometimes pets return to us when we least expect them, even years after they first disappeared.
Recently, a lost dog returned to her owner — an entire decade after she went missing!
Ten years ago, Diana Hart was devastated after her 2-year-old dog Abby went missing. Years passed with no sign of the dog anywhere, and her only solace was the thought that Abby may have been taken in by someone else.
“My best hope was that somebody fell in love with her,” Diana told WHIO TV. “My worst fear was that somebody had her for all the wrong reasons.”
But after a decade of heartbreak, Diana finally got some unexpected news about her long-lost dog.
Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, in Dayton, Ohio, recently took in a severely emaciated dog, who they said could “barely stand or walk” when they found her.
It was Abby, now 12 years old. Thankfully, she had a microchip so employees were still able to contact Diana, who was stunned by the news. “I said ‘What are we talking about?’ and she said ‘Your dog Abby’ and I couldn’t even talk. It took my breath away,” she told the news outlet.
Soon, she reunited with Abby — and even though a decade had passed and the dog was much older, there was no love lost. Abby seemed to come back to life at the sight of her old owner: Montgomery County Animal Resource Center said that Abby turned into a “happy, wiggly mess” at the sight of her family.
“This little white bag of bones just huddled up in the back. I said ‘That’s Abby’ and as soon as I said her name she heard my voice and tried to get up,” Diana told WHIO. “She made one final launch into my lap. I kept thinking ‘Wow what a miracle.'”
Abby has since made quite a recovery since reuniting with her owner: the shelter says the once-emaciated dog has regained 16 pounds since returning home, and included before-and-after pics:
They also wrote that Abby “loves playing with her family and going on walks, despite everything she’s been through.” A decade is a long time to be missing — it’s nearly Abby’s entire life. But it’s clear the family is eager to make up for lost time.
While long-overdue reunions like this seem like miracles, they’re only possible thanks to microchips, underlining the importance of keeping your pets microchipped with your current information. Diana said that she had recently thought about turning the chip off, thinking Abby was gone for good. Thankfully, she had a change of heart.
“You’ve got a chance of getting your loved one back and making your family complete again,” she told WHIO TV.
After announcing the news, Montgomery County Animal Resource Center said that they would be offering microchips for only $10 through September 22.
We’re so glad Abby is finally home! What amazing news for this family ❤️ Please share this incredible story!
READ MORE:
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- Missing dog is overjoyed to reunite with his family after 11 years apart
