One of the most devastating feelings in the world is realizing your beloved pet has gone missing. That's what happened to Albert Silver when his 13-year-old Labrador, Sophie, disappeared.
He and his family had been shoveling and plowing their Maine home when Sophie wandered off. The Labrador usually stays near the house or visits next door, but all of a sudden, she was gone.
Albert put out an alert on his Facebook for all of his friends and family to be on the lookout for the sweet Lab.
"Sophie has made this neighborhood her own and had many people she visited, even had her own normal paths to take to get to each place," Albert explained on Facebook. "Everyone around here knows her well and was nice to her."
People from all over their town worked together to look for Sophie. On the fourth day of searching, things were looking grim. But early the next morning, a friend had spotted the Labrador's head popping out of a huge pile of snow.
Keep scrolling to see how Sophie was saved and how she's doing now.
Photos: Courtesy of Albert Silver
On January 5, 2017, Albert Silver was devastated when he realized his family's 13-year-old Labrador named Sophie was missing in the cold Maine weather.
Sophie wandered off while the family was plowing and shoveling their property.
"Thursday before supper we all went out to shovel and plow," Albert explained on Facebook. "Sophie loves to be a part of this. She followed us next door to her aunt's house when we plowed there. Afterward, she went to a neighbor’s house that she visits often and then he sent her home. She was last seen leaving his house."
Albert immediately went to Facebook and pleaded with his friends and family to help find the senior dog.
"Please share, let us know if she’s been spotted or any other scenario," Albert wrote. "We have calls in to animal control, responsible pet care, the town office and neighbors."
More than 2,000 people shared his post. Soon, Albert and his family received help from people all over, many of whom they didn't even know.
The search party looked everywhere for the Labrador. For four days they searched and searched but came up empty-handed.
"We looked on foot and by snowmobile and by car," Albert told NEWS CENTER Maine. "We were pretty convinced that she had gone somewhere to die."
On the fifth day, something amazing happened.
Just down the road from their house, a neighbor spotted the Labrador sticking her head out of a huge mound of snow!
"It’s a miracle. Sophie has been found alive and well," Albert wrote on Facebook. "She spent 5 days out in extreme cold and winds and in the snow."
The family had to plow the area, but they were able to get Sophie out of the snow and to safety.
The Labrador only lost a few pounds and had no serious injuries.
"She went to the vet's immediately and is ok. No frostbite, lost 5 pounds, hungry and tired," Albert wrote. "Blood work and X-rays all showed a healthy girl."
Everyone was so excited that the senior dog was finally back at home after a scary few days.
"This is truly a miracle and our prayers were definitely answered," her dad wrote. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all of the Facebook people who shared and commented and cared, to all of the people who prayed for her, to all of the people who took time out of their days to be thinking of us."
We are so happy to hear they were reunited!
Please SHARE this post on Facebook with family and friends if you're happy Sophie is home.
