The Washington County Animal Shelter received a call in early April, reporting that Blue, a stray dog, had sought refuge at a stranger’s home and was in need of a secure place to sleep. The pit bull mix was promptly picked up by an animal control officer and returned to the shelter.

No one knew the duration of Blue’s time on the streets, but the homeless pup appeared to adore every human he encountered.

“He was a happy-go-lucky dog,” shared Tammy Davis, the shelter’s executive director, with The Dodo. “He was a little shy initially, and he wasn’t very fond of all the other dogs being around him, but he was extremely affectionate to people and very loving to the staff.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelter had to close its doors to the public, making visits by appointment only. With reduced foot traffic, Blue found himself waiting in his kennel for months, which ultimately turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

To introduce Blue to potential adopters, the shelter posted a video of Blue playing with his favorite toy on their Facebook page. Moments later, a comment on the video reads, “That’s my dog.”

Blue had gone missing from his Tennessee home six months before. His dad tirelessly searched for him but eventually had to relocate to Texas for work. He thought that he’d never see his dog again until his friend sent him the video of Blue on Facebook.

All that remained was to confirm whether the man claiming to be Blue’s owner was telling the truth: “Blue’s favorite toy in the shelter was a blue squeaky ball, and in our video, he was playing with that ball,” Davis said. “Once we started the conversation with the owner, he said, ‘Yes, I have pictures of my dog.’ He sent us pictures of Blue in his home with that same blue ball, which was his favorite toy at home. It was crazy.”

Blue’s dad drove 1,200 miles to get his boy, and the reunion was everything they could have hoped for.

“It was very obvious that the dog had a bond with that person,” Davis said. “Blue was shocked for a split second, like, ‘Am I believing my eyes?’ And then it was just immediate kisses and the man was crying, it was great.”

Now, Blue is back with his dad, and the two are starting a new life together in Texas full of love, snuggles, and squeaky balls.

“We wish that every animal could have a happy ending like that,” Davis said. “It makes all of our hard work worth it to be able to have moments like this.”

If you love this story, please share it with your friends and family members.