Man who never stopped looking for lost dog reunited with him after 4 years

• Michael Joy lost his dog Sam in 2016, when he and his family was about to embark on a road trip.
• Michael didn’t stop looking for Sam, but had no luck — until he got a call from an animal rescue who found Sam.
• Michael drove eight hours from Kentucky to Ohio to fetch his pup, and their reunion was the sweetest thing!

In 2016, Michael Joy lost his then four-month-old puppy, Sam.

He and his family were about to go aboard then for a road trip when three of their dogs got loose, with two returning except Sam.

Michael searched everywhere for his lost pup. He drove around the neighborhood in Georgia and checked the local shelters, hoping that he could find Sam, but to no avail.

Nevertheless, losing hope was not part of his search-and-rescue plan. The army vet told his wife, “Hey, I’m gonna find this dog.”

“I never stopped, I always — I even still follow the shelters’ pages just in case he would’ve shown up,” Michael told WTSP.

When the family eventually moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Michael’s hopes have not faltered and he believed that Sam was still around — he just needed to find him.

True enough, after almost five years since the incident, Michael got an unexpected call from City Dogs Cleveland, who identified Sam when they scanned him for a microchip during a medical checkup.

“She goes, ‘We have Sam.’ In the back of my mind, I’m going, ‘This can’t be the same Sam! This is Ohio! This is, like, almost to Michigan!’” the fur dad told WTSP. “So I’m like, ‘Can you describe him for me?’ And she said, ‘He’s a lighter-haired dog,’ and I’m like ‘Where are you and when can I pick him up?’”

After he got the call, Michael drove straight to Ohio, an eight-hour drive from his place, praying that the dog could still recognize him, especially that he had changed a lot physically: now with a beard and long hair.

“As we get up there and I’m waiting for them to pull Sam out, you can just see the anticipation in my face. I was like a kid on Christmas,” he said.

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

Their reunion was such a sight to behold. Michael was thrilled to see Sam again, and Sam looked giddy, too, elatedly wagging his tail and jumping around!

Since that emotional reunion, Michael was certain that he’s never letting him go out of his sight again.

Source: The Dodo