After spending a decade apart, a Chicago man is finally being reunited with his best friend. Ed Lighthall’s poodle mix, Pete, disappeared from his owner’s backyard ten years ago. With no leads on his location, Lighthall presumed his pup had been stolen. That is, until he got a surprising call from an unlikely place.
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Pete was found running loose near a busy intersection in Hammond, Indiana, nearly 20 miles away from his home. A good Samaritan brought him to Hammond Animal Control, where they discovered he was wearing a collar and tags. Laney Bunner, a spokesperson for Animal Control, told NBC 5 that the tag owner, who had renamed the dog “Stewie,” didn’t want the dog to be returned. They checked Pete for a microchip, which led them to Lighthall.
“It is the longest I have ever heard of a dog missing, then being reunited with his owner,” Bunner said. “It is amazing.”
When Lighthall learned that his long-lost dog had been found, he couldn’t contain his excitement.
“I’m still on a cloud – this is unbelievable,” he told NBC 5 Chicago in an interview. “I would tell people how much I missed him and how much it would mean if he ever came back. There are no words. I am filled with gratitude right now.”
Although Pete is a little older and has less energy than he had when he and Lighthall were last together, his owner says both he and his furry friend are thrilled to be back together again.
“It is like we picked up where we left off. I’m happy. He is happy. Everyone who hears this story is happy. I am so thankful to those folks at animal control. They got me my dog back,” Lighthall said.
Pete’s owner added that he plans to make the most of the time he has left with his pup.
“However much time we’ve got left, I’m happy to spend it with him,” he said.
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