Bonnie the cocker spaniel was allegedly stolen from her family's North Carolina home in 2014.
Bonnie, a cocker spaniel from North Carolina, received the best 10th birthday gift of all when she was reunited with her loving owners after six long years apart. Bonnie was allegedly stolen from her family's North Carolina home in 2014.
Like any pet owner, Simon and Caroline Hall were devastated over Bonnie’s disappearance and after a while were resided to the fact that their dog was gone. But on Thursday, the couple received a call from a dog warden at Fenland District Council telling them that their dog had been found in a Norfolk park, 200 miles from home.
The moment the couple learned that Bonnie was alive and they could see her again, they rushed to the veterinary center where the dog was being kept, Yahoo Life reported.
“We just can’t believe it. It was only a couple of years ago that I gave up up hope but I was still checking all the lost dog sites,” Caroline said.
After a few sniffs, Bonnie’s tail began to wag incessantly as she suddenly realized that the two people hugging and gushing over her were her long-lost parents. “I’d prepared myself for the fact she might look in a bad way but actually she’s looking quite well. I know the vets have taken wonderful care of her," Caroline told Yahoo.
Although it is unclear how Bonnie ended up so far from home, some suspect that the dog was stolen to breed.
Last week, at Terrington St. John Veterinary Centre, Bonnie had undergone a hysterectomy. The specialists at the vet centre believe Bonnie may have had her most recent litter within the last two months, Yahoo reported.
“With missing dogs, sometimes they go in the morning and are back in the afternoon – or a couple of days at most. I’ve never known a dog to have been gone this long before,” said Caroline Trigg, Fenland District Council dog warden, who reunited Bonnie with her owners.
Trigg added, “I think Bonnie’s had a hard time with the breeding side. Someone has made a lot of money out of her, which is very sad. And she has clearly never been to a vet’s over those six-and-a-half years or her chip would have been read.”
The Halls said it was lucky that Bonnie had been microchipped, as without that they may never have been reunited. They also expressed how grateful they were for the care Bonnie received.
They were excited to bring Bonnie back home to celebrate her birthday and homecoming and introduce Bonnie to the family’s other dog, Jessie. “Gosh knows what she’s been through," Simon said. "It doesn’t bear thinking about, but at least we can get her back for a few more years and give her a bit of love and care and attention.”
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