In 2016, a guy named Michael Joy and his family were set to embark on a vacation by taking a road trip. That was the same time that his three dogs escaped. The two of them returned. Sam, a Labrador mix that was only four months old at the time, disappeared.
Joy continued to look everywhere, including local animal shelters and his entire Georgia neighborhood. But he was unable to find Sam.
He told his wife he would find this puppy and he surely didn’t stop. He followed the pages of animal shelters and checked them constantly, just in case Sam showed up.
The family soon relocated to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. But Joy still could not accept that his beloved puppy was gone forever. He continued to travel to Georgia back and forth in the hopes of finding Sam.
Then, approximately five years after Sam disappeared, Joy received an unexpected phone call from City Dogs Cleveland, a shelter. The woman on the other end said that they had Sam. Joy thought that this could not be the same Sam because Ohio was far from where the dog had disappeared. That is why he asked her to describe the dog.
The woman said that the dog that they had had lighter fur. This piqued Joy’s curiosity so he asked where they were and when he might get the dog.
The day he received the phone call, he drove the eight-hour distance to Ohio. He prayed that his dog would remember him. Joy had long hair and a beard over the course of several years, but so did Sam.
Joy stated that as they went to the location and waited for them to get his beloved dog, it was evident that the dog was anticipating his arrival. Joy and Sam both looked like kids waiting for their presents on Christmas Day.
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
Source: City Dogs Cleveland
