In 2016, a man named Michael Joy, together with his family, was about to go on a road trip when suddenly his three doggos got loose. The two came back. However, Sam, a Labrador mix that’s only four months old during that time, went missing.
Joy kept searching everywhere – checking the local animal shelters, driving all over his neighborhood in Georgia – however, the army vet could not find Sam anywhere.
He said that he told his wife that he’s going to find this pup. He didn’t stop. He always and even keeps following the animal shelters’ pages just in any case he would have shown up.
The family gradually moved to Fort Campbell in Kentucky. But Joy didn’t believe that his beloved dog was gone for good. He kept traveling back and forth in Georgia, in hopes that Sam would be found.
Then, almost five years after he went missing, Joy received an unexpected phone call from City Dogs Cleveland. The woman in the line said that they had Sam, and in the back of his mind, he uttered that this couldn’t be the same Sam because it’s Ohio and it’s like almost to Michigan. So, he let her describe the dog for him. She then said that he is a lighter-haired pup, and he quickly asked where she was and when he could pick him up.
The very day he received the call, he made the eight-hour-long drive straight to Ohio. He prayed that his pup would still recognize him. After a few years, Joy had quite changed – he had long hair and grew some beard – however, Sam had also changed.
Joy said that as they got up there and waited for them to pull his beloved dog out, it’s clearly obvious to see the anticipation in his face. He was so much like a little kid on Christmas.
Below is the video of their emotional reunion.
Get tissues ready for this one…Sam was dropped off by police who found him. Kennel staff scanned & found a #microchip then contacted the number on file. Turns out, Sam was missing for 4 YEARS, from Georgia! His owner drove 8hrs to get Sam in an emotional #reunion.☺️#happyending pic.twitter.com/kGtaeN4iX1
— City Dogs Cleveland (@CityDogsCLE) April 15, 2021
Joy was so happy to see his best friend again. Though the finally found dog seemed quite confused by Joy’s new look at first, he couldn’t stop wagging his tail and jumping excitedly.
Now that the two have finally been reunited, he’s not going to let him out of his sight again.
Source Twitter via City Dogs Cleveland
