After 6 years living alone in the garbage, a little dog reunites with his long-lost family

Puppies have the gift of bringing new perspectives and licks into our lives. They have a lightness. An ability to transform licks into love and paws into affection.

Having a dog means having the right to infinite love! It means coming home to licks and cuddles. It means having constant company and motivation to go for walks. A dog brings life to a family’s home!

The little dog wanders absent-mindedly through the streets of Sumter County, Florida, when a kind-looking person passes by.

The lost dog ran to meet the man without hesitation.

“He practically dove at this guy, like he was saying, ‘Help me! Help me! ‘” said Claudia Labbé, a volunteer with YOUR Humane Society SPCA, “He was so happy to see him.”

The Chihuahua was malnourished and covered in fleas when he was found by a good Samaritan who picked him up and took him to the shelter.

Upon arrival, the dog maintained his friendly and positive attitude. 

Suspicious, shelter staff saw that this dog must belong to a home and scanned him for a microchip.

When they did the search, they discovered the dog’s name, Alex, as well as the names of his former owners. Soon after, shelter staff were able to contact the family and realized how incredible Alex’s story was.

His owners had not seen the dog in six long years and live in Naples, Florida, more than 225 miles from where Alex was found.

Another dog named Thunder was part of the family besides Alex, who came to live with them as a 2-month-old puppy.

It all started when Thunder went to live with Grandma for a while, so Alex dug a hole under the backyard fence and escaped, probably in search of Thunder.

Realizing the dog was missing, Alex’s family prayed daily for his safe return home and searched everywhere.

But as the months passed, the hope of finding their beloved dog faded. The call from YOUR Humane Society SPCA late one February evening changed their lives forever.