There is nothing better than the moment you are reunited with your beloved dog!
They have been waiting for 4 years for an emotional reunion with their beloved German Shepherd dog Sheba that was stolen earlier, this is a heartwarming reunion for the family in Baytown, This Texas.
Sheba’s owner, Stephanie Moore Malmstrom, told Daily Paws, “It’s like she never left. We feel so lucky and happy to have Sheba back.”
Earlier in January 2018, Sheba suddenly disappeared while her family was visiting a neighbor. When the family returned home and didn’t find Sheba dozing off in the yard or answering calls, they began to sense something was wrong.
After hours of searching and still couldn’t find Sheba, the family reviewed security footage and determined the dog had been stolen. The family reported the dog theft to the microchip business and continued to search, in the long run, they increasingly lost hope that their Sheba dog would return home.
Moore Malmstrom was shocked to see a missed call and two messages in August of this year saying the Sheba dog had been identified.
Moore Malmstrom initially thought it was a ‘scam’ and thought they were taking advantage of her love for her missing pet. Still, she dialed the missed number,” said Jerry Harper, an animal control officer, telling her that he had indeed found her stolen dog — 600 miles away in a place called Borger”.
Moore Malmstrom is so excited but still skeptical, she asks for pictures of Sheba from face to toe and anything else to help her identify the right Sheba.
Moore Malmstrom and her husband were still not sure it was Sheba until they FaceTimed Harper the next day and recalled that they had given Sheba an identification tattoo. Moore Malmstrom “Then said, This is Sheba! You have my dog — you have my baby! “I’m ready to get in the car and go.”
Her family still had to wait another week for a volunteer organization to transport Sheba home because the dog was a 12-hour drive away (24 hours in total!).
Moore Malmstrom said, “It was the longest seven days of my life.”
Moore Malmstrom also feared that Sheba might not remember her after four years apart, but Sheba immediately recognized her family when he stepped off the plane and smelled them.
“Excitement is an understatement,” says Moore Malmstrom. Our family has been missing a hairy member for four and a half years, and now we are whole again.
Sheba hasn’t skipped a beat even though the family has grown to include a rescue bull named Poppy and a child named Mason since she went missing.
Although she moves a little slower these days, she still enjoys spending time with her family, having fun outside, and sharing cheese bars with Mason, her new favorite boy.
Moore Malmstrom describes “Sheba is amazing – a once-in-a-lifetime dog. We are so lucky to have her back. If someone took anything from our story, it’s your animal’s microchip and don’t lose hope if they are lost or stolen because there are happy endings”.