“Everyone was very touched — this was a dog that is loved.”
When animal control officers picked up a stray dog, it was obvious she had once been someone’s beloved pet. Despite the initial noise and excitement on the street, the brown dog with a powdered sugar-colored face immediately settled down once the leash was on her.
At City of San Antonio Animal Care Services, the dog, later named Coco, was friendly and well-mannered with everyone she met. “An education staff member saw her face on a report and instantly felt that Coco was missing someone, and that someone was missing her,” explained Lisa Norwood, public relations manager for the shelter. “During a visit, Coco sat calmly, wagging her tail while the staff member reassured her, ‘Your family is coming. Your family is coming.’”
The shelter shared a photo of the 10-year-old dog online, hoping for the best. Just a few days later, Ms. G was browsing the shelter’s website when she saw Coco’s face. Immediately, she recognized the dog that had gone missing seven months prior in April. Coco had once belonged to her brother, and Ms. G had taken over her care after he moved away.
Although the family wasn’t sure how Coco had gotten out, they had searched tirelessly for her. It turned out the dog had somehow crossed a busy highway and ended up in a completely different neighborhood, miles away from where she had started.
Ms. G had feared she’d never see Coco again, but the moment she saw her face on the shelter’s website, she rushed to the facility. The lobby was filled with emotion when the two were finally reunited.
As Coco was brought up from the kennels, she started jumping with joy and wagging her tail as soon as she spotted her mom. “After the jumping, there were kisses on both sides,” Norwood recalled. “Then Ms. G began to cry. It was a beautiful moment; this was a dog who had been deeply loved.”
The shelter updated Coco’s microchip, which was still linked to Ms. G’s brother, and Coco wrapped her paws around her mom’s leg, showing that she was home for good.