Amarillo Family Reunited with Dog After It Was Stolen 7 Years Ago

The one thing Amarillo is full of is people who love animals.  People rescue animals who have been hurt, lost, or dumped to return them to their owners or a new home with a loving family.    Amarillo has multiple lost pet websites and this past weekend, a story of a lifetime unfolded.

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Here's that lifetime story.

Rebecca Latimer shared that her daughters were walking around their property and found a dog.  She said it took about 20 minutes to get the dog inside their home because he wasn't having the leash so they had to lure him inside.

She said that it was apparent that he had skin problems so she gave him an oatmeal bath.  After the bath, he was still shivering indicating a fever so she knew she had to get him to the vet.  After getting the dog comfortable she posted a picture of him on the Amarillo Pet Lost and Found Facebook.

Latimer took him to the vet and got him checked out thanks to a donation made by someone who saw the post.   Not only did the person who donated the money see the post, but so did the owner.

Here's the kicker

Seven years ago Brittany Simpson and her family felt the loss when their dog Ruger was stolen from their home.   Although they did everything they could to find him he was gone. Then there was the Facebook post.

Latimer shared with us that Simpson reached out to her and shared a picture that she had when he was home with her.

There was no denying it was likely him

After taking him to the vet and having him chip checked it confirmed that this was indeed Simpson's long-lost dog Ruger.   After they were connected Simpson came to the vet's office to be reunited with her dog.

Ruger had an ear infection and a bacterial infection throughout his body.  He was given medication.

Thank Goodness He's Home!

Ruger is back with his family resting and healing surrounded by people who love him.  This is all thanks to a chip and a good samaritan who found and took in a lost dog, shared him on Facebook, and took him to a vet to get checked out and chip checked.

According, to comments that are no longer posted, Ruger didn't recognize his former family immediately, and it was believed that he wasn't treated kindly by the people who stole him or the people who ended up with him.   Ruger will live out the rest of his days with the family who loves him, getting scratchies, cuddles, treats, and being spoiled rotten.

Get Your Pets Chipped

This is why it is important to microchip your animals and keep your information up to date. You never know when they might accidentally escape your home or someone might take your beloved pet.

The chip is the link between you and your pet.   If Ruger had not been chipped, he might have never made it back home to the family that loved him all those years ago and away from the people who stole him and mistreated him.

You can have your pets chipped by almost any vet, pet rescue, or at the Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare.