Dogs get lost all the time. Even the very best boy can't resist an open gate or a low fence, and because they're lovable bundles of fun and curiosity they sometimes run off without letting their owners know — or bothering to remember where their home is. Most lost pups don't travel over 5,000 miles during their misadventure, however. One shelter dog making headlines this week wasn't just any lost pup.
Zooey, as she was dubbed by the shelter she was dropped off at by a kind stranger, was an immediate hit with the staff. She was clearly not a stray. She was relatively clean and very well behaved. But when her owners couldn't be tracked down, arrangements had to be made to take care of the dog's uncertain future. That's when Zooey's wild ride began.
The 1-year-old boxer was picked up in Houston.
She was found by a stranger and dropped off at the shelter. She was docile and clean, leading volunteers to believe she must have an owner who loves her.
But despite the Harris County Animal Shelter's best efforts to track down an owner, 'Zooey' was left at the shelter for about a week. After that, there was no choice left but to find a foster parent.
Zooey was then picked up by a group called Ruff Start Rescue
After her time with her first foster parent, her owner still hadn't reached out. So she was picked up by another non-profit….in Minnesota. That's more than 2,600 miles from Houston!
"We were told that she was really, really sweet, and very dog friendly,” said Ruff Start's Lexi Johnson. But despite Zooey being a total sweetheart, several adoption efforts fell through. While the pup knew basic commands and was house broken, Johnson quickly realized she had no sense of hearing. That, combined with other minor factors, kept her from finding a new forever home.
But that turned out being a good thing, because over four months after the pup went missing, her family finally managed to track her down via social media.
Zooey's real name is Penelope, and her mom Mandy Lyons had never given up looking for her
After the rescue organizations involved confirmed that Mandy was the dog's real family, they arranged to drive Zo… er, Penelope all the way back to Texas. The little pupper had now traveled 5,200 in just the past few months!
Johnson flew down from Minnesota to witness the reunion between Mandy (above) and Penelope. Camera crews and members of Harris County Animal Rescue were on site for the happy event too.
It took half a second for Penelope to realize where she was, and who she was looking at
But before long…
It was as if Penelope couldn't believe her eyes. She was finally seeing her long lost mom again after a wild cross country (and back) adventure.
According to Johnson, "[Penelope] looked at her, and she looked at her again and was like, ‘Is this real?’And then she went over there, she was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is it.’ I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.”
"I was so happy and sad at the same time,” admits Johnson “I was happy because they were reunited, but sad because … it’s heartbreaking to think that it was five months when she was without her mama."
Harris County Animal Rescue documented the entire journey on Facebook:
Penelope's adventure has struck a nerve with animal lovers everywhere.
Many are taking heart from the feel-good tale; others are using it as rallying cry to encourage people to support the shelter and foster system in any way they can.
Johnson reports that she has kept in touch with Mandy and Penelope, and both are back to their routine and enjoying life. "She’s gone back to normal with her people," she says.
Another happy ending!
