Emotional Support Dog Missing for 2 Years Reunited with Owner: ‘I Kind of Lost Hope After a While’

Loki the dog went missing almost two years ago while he was being watched by a friend

A woman from Fort Wayne, Indiana is celebrating the return of her support dog nearly two years after it went missing.

Samantha Powers received a call on Friday, May 24, from Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control that her dog Loki had been found after he got away while being watched by her friend, according to a post on the organization's Facebook page.

The emotional moment was also captured on a video of the pair hugging as they reunited after their long time apart.

“I kind of lost hope after a while,” Samantha told WPTA, before adding that whoever found Loki had taken good care of him but sadly didn't think to scan his microchip — something the animal center did to identify him.

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“I think everybody and anybody that has any kind of animal – whether it’s indoors or outdoors, no matter what it is – microchip your puppies, your cats, your rats, your birds,” her mom Barbara told the outlet.

“The microchip was a lifesaver,” Samantha said. “Without that, I wouldn’t have gotten my boy back.”

“I definitely encourage people to get it.”

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According to Samantha, Loki is now getting used to being back at home, with Barbara adding she was so happy to see her “baby” have her dog back.

“Animals aren’t just animals, they’re part of your family,” she said.

Describing Samantha's reaction when she learned that Loki had been found, she said simply that “She lost it,” per WPTA. 

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“Loki is back home with his mom after being apart for almost 2 years!!! ,” Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control shared on their May 30 Facebook post about Loki being reunited with Samantha, alongside two photos of the owner and pet hugging.

“Loki got loose from the person who was caring for him as their own and was brought to our shelter to be scanned for a microchip,” the caption continued. “It is like music to our ears when we hear our microchip scanner beep..Loki had a chip!”

They added that they were then able to contact Loki’s owner.

“This is why we advocate so frequently to please get your pets microchipped in the event they ever become lost,” the organization said. “We offer walk-in microchipping services for just $15 Mon-Fri from 11a - 6p. You do not need to be a resident of Fort Wayne.”

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