Missing Dogs Returning To Their Homes Provide The Most Heartwarming Photos
For dog lovers everywhere, dogs are family. That's why losing a pet is every dog owner's worst nightmare.
We often blame ourselves and think about what we could have done differently. After all, it's certainly not the dog's fault.
We lose sleep thinking about how our pampered dog is doing outside, all on its own… or if our dog is in a shelter somewhere with no clue what's going on. It is such a difficult time, and not knowing where our dog is or how our dog is doing seems to be the hardest part.
Fortunately, many dogs who are lost by accident find their way home. Sometimes it’s plain luck, friendly strangers, or committed shelter staff that brings our dogs back. People love to share their heartwarming dog reunions, and we have compiled a list of 50 of the most adorable examples.
Enjoy each and every one of these human and dog reunions, and try to pick your favorite.
1. "I Got My Baby Back"
Is your dog your baby? Then you understand!
2. "This Is Emma. She's Tired Because She Went On An Adventure By Herself For The Past 2 Days And Got Lost"
3. "Never Ever Lose Hope. I Didn't, And After 4 Years Apart In Different Provinces, We Are Together Again"
It's so wholesome when the dog is happy to see his human, too!
4. "After 54 Days Missing From The Tornado That Leveled Our Home On March 3rd, We Have Been Reunited With Our Dog Bella"
What a facial expression for a dog.
Temma Martin is a Public Relations Manager at Best Friends Animal Society, and she has worked at an animal control shelter for 11 years. She says that no matter how careful we are, pets—not just our dogs—can still get lost, so it's much better to be prepared.
"Make sure your pet has more than one form of identification and find out what tags are required by law in your area," Martin told Bored Panda. "An ID tag is inexpensive and generally readily available at local stores. Include your name, current address, and phone number (two if possible). The ID tag is most convenient for anyone in your neighborhood who finds your pet."
5. "Lost Dog Shows Up Two Days Later At Her Owner's Office"
6. "Zoe Returns Home After Being Lost In The Woods For Nearly A Year"
In case your pet gets lost, start searching around your neighborhood right away. "Ask anyone who is out if they have seen them, including postal carriers, neighbors, children, joggers, etc.," Martin said. "Ask neighbors to check yards and garages where the pet might be hiding. Carry a leash or carrier with you, and make sure to have your cell phone in case someone calls you while you're out looking."
7. "Someone Hit My Dog Jack With A Truck And Took Off—My Pup Instantly Got Up And Ran Away Faster Than I Could Catch Him"
8. "Family Gets A Shock Of A Lifetime When Their Dog Returns After Disappearing 10 Years Ago"
Next, call all local veterinarians and all shelters and provide your dog's description and microchip ID (if they have one). "Check local social media pages and online classifieds for your area that post lost and found pets," Martin said. "Other platforms like NextDoor.com can be extremely helpful in posting lost and found pets in real-time."
9. "4 Days After Girl’s Plea For Missing Dog, Her Best Friend Is Returned"
10. "Today He Was Attacked On A Walk By A Pit Bull And Bulldog. During The Attack, He Slipped Out Of His Collar And Ran Away"
11. "We Got Him. I’m Speechless. Shaking. Emotional"
Post a picture of your lost pet right away, and also pay attention to found pet posts. "People in your specific neighborhood may have seen the pet and can suggest where it was last seen. Many happy reunions have occurred quickly because of the power of social media."
12. "My Friend Found His Lost Dog After 2 Days Apart. First Pic Of Them Reunited"
You should visit the local shelters in person, not just call them on the phone. People's perceptions of breed and description can differ, so relying on someone else to find your dog is not as effective as looking for yourself.
"Check with other shelters in your area and leave your info just in case. While there is generally only one animal control shelter that would serve the particular jurisdiction, there might be other non-profit shelters around (although these don't often take in stray pets)," Martin said.
13. "Thanks To The Help Of Some Savvy Internet Dog Detectives, We Were Able To Confirm And Reunite Scar With His Family This Morning"
14. "The Sweetest Reunion"
15. "Dog Reunites With Its Owners After Three Years"
16. "A Seven-Month-Old Shar-Pei Puppy Has Been Reunited With His Owners After Allegedly Being 'Dog-Napped' In Newtown"
17. "After 6 Years Away From Family, Corky Returns Home"
18. "She Ran Away For A Day. This Is Her Back Home Now"
19. "Lost For 6 Years, Alex Is Reunited With His Family"
20. "Missing Dog Duke Reunited With His Owner After 8 Long Years"
21. "Lost My Hound Puppy In The Wilderness After She Was Startled. Found Her Safe 24 Hours Later"
22. "Twixx Has Been Missing 2 Years, And His Owner Thought He Was Dead, But Thanks To A Microchip, They Reunited. Happy Tails, Twixx"
23. "Well After 6 1/2 Years Missing, Bonnie Reunited With Her Beloved Family"
24. "Dog Missing For Over Two Weeks Reunited With Owner At The City Of Jackson Animal Shelter"
25. "After 13 Days Lost, My Stepfather Left His Coat Out Where She Was Last Seen. At Sunrise, She Was Found Sleeping On It. Welcome Home, Emma Lee"
26. "Long Lost Dog Reunited With Her Owner After 8 Years"
27. "My Dog Brought Home A Friend. Turns Out It Is My Neighbor's Golden Who Has Been Missing For 2 Weeks"
28. "This Sweet Doggo’s Face After Being Reunited With His Dad After 7 Months"
29. "A Fearless Goat-Herding Dog Called Odin Refused To Abandon His Flock Of Goats During Deadly California Wildfires In 2017, While His Owners Ran To Safety. Days Later, His Family Returned To Their Destroyed Home And Found Him And The Goats Still Alive"
Miracles.
It was about 10:30 when we first smelled smoke from the approaching Tubbs fire that had ravaged Northern California. I ran up and down our roads on the ATV, but saw nothing. At 10:55, I could see the sky turning orange. I woke Ariel and told her to get ready to leave and went to wake Scott on the east end of the property. Stephen had already awoken from the smell of the smoke and the brightening sky.
By 11:10, we could see the first of the flames across the valley. By 11:15, they were growing larger, and the winds went mad. We had loaded up the dogs and cats, but Odin, our stubborn and fearless Great Pyrenees, would not leave the goats.
Even under the best of circumstances, it is nearly impossible to separate Odin from the goats after nightfall when he takes over the close watch from his sister Tessa. I made a decision to leave him, and I doubt I could have made him come with us if I tried. We got out with our lives and what was in our pockets.
Cars behind us on Mark West Springs Road were pouring flames out of the windows as they roared down the road. Later that morning, when we had outrun the fires, I cried, sure that I had sentenced Odie to death, along with our precious family of bottle-raised goats.
Today, we were able to make it back to the smoldering wasteland of our forest. Every structure is in ruins. Trees are still burning.
Yet, eight goats came running to see us and get cuddles and kisses. Dixon has a burn on his back the size of a nickel. Other than that, they are perfectly fine. Odin’s fur is burned, and his whiskers melted. He is limping on his right leg. He has adopted several baby deer who huddle around him for safety and water from their trough, which is miraculously intact and full of relatively clean water.
We dropped off several bales of orchard grass and gave them fresh water. Tomorrow, we hope to reunite them all with his sister Tessa. I’m sure Odin believes she has perished. I can’t wait to see their faces when they see each other.
Odin has lived up to his namesake. Pray for him and his charges. He is our inspiration. If he can be so fearless in this maelstrom, surely so can we.
30. "My Neighbor Found His Lost Dog"
31. "Ginger Reuniting With Her Family After Weeks Apart"
32. "After 5 Days Of Being Lost, We Found Our Baby Against All Odds With All The Health Issues She Has—Everyone, Meet Misty"
33. "My Friend Found Her Dog After Being Lost For 3 Days. I Think She Was Glad To Have Her Human Back"
34. "Found A Little Dog, And Within Minutes Of Putting Her On A Lost And Found Pets Group, Her Owner And I Had Found Each Other Thanks To A Lady Who'd Seen Both Our Posts"
35. "After 20 Long Months Of Being In The Tahoe National Forest, Murphy Has Come Home"
36. "Family In Florida Reunited With Missing Dog After Three Years Of Searching. Their Dog Bella Had Been Picked Up As A Stray And Was Found At An Animal Shelter In New Jersey"
37. "My Friend's Dog Was Lost For The Last 30 Hours, But They Finally Found Her! This Is What The Reunion Looked Like"
38. "This Is Zeus"
39. "A Rescue Dog Named Honey Has Been Reunited With His Owner After A Seven-Year Separation"
40. "After A Month Of Being Lost In Another State, We've Found Our Dog"
41. "A Family In My Town Had Their Truck Stolen Last Week With Their Dog Inside. Today, The Truck Was Recovered And The Dog Got To Reunite With His Family"
42. "Got Lost And Wound Up Hiking 23 km Yesterday. They've Been Sleeping Since We Got Home"
43. "Lost Dog Comes Home After 7 Years"
44. "My Husband Is A FedEx Driver. He Found A Lost Dog Today And Picked Him Up In His Truck. He Rode With Him Until He Was Safely Returned To His Owner"
45. "My Dog Ran Away. After Hours Of Looking, I Came Home To This"
46. "A Stranger Drove Two Hours And Used His Drone To Recover Meadow, Who Was Lost In The Woods For 10 Days"
47. "He Recently Ran Away, But After Five Days, We Got Him Back. Say Hi To Joey, My 11-Year-Old Good Boy"
48. "She Was Missing 2 Days Ago. This Morning, She Showed Up In Front Of Her Home"
49. "Lost Our Girl In An Unfamiliar Town For 2 Days. This Is How We Spent The Rest Of The Day After Being Reunited"
50. "A Reunion 200 Days In The Making"
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