PASCO, Wash. – Old Timer, an eight-and-a-half-year-old Jack Russell mix, has finally reunited with his owner after being missing for more than three years.
The heartwarming reunion took place after a Facebook post by the Tri-Cities Animal Services gained significant attention.
Back in December, animal control found Old Timer and another dog in a car after their owner ended up in jail. Both dogs were taken to the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter. While one dog quickly found a new home, Old Timer’s path was more challenging.
“Thankfully, they were totally fine,” said Monica Noonan with Tri-Cities Animal Services. “One of them did have a microchip. Old Timer had a microchip. Unfortunately, it was unregistered, so it was a dead end, and we weren’t able to contact any owners. Nobody ever came forward to reclaim either of the dogs.”
Old Timer was adopted but returned to the shelter after just a week. He then experienced medical issues and needed some help.
“He actually started having some medical episodes,” Noonan said. “So we actually had him on a medical hold for a while. He wasn’t available for adoption while we figured out what was going on with him.”
After recovering, Old Timer remained at the shelter for months, waiting for a new home. The shelter posted his picture on Facebook and sparked a lot of interest.
“So I recently updated Old Timer’s photos, posted them to our Facebook page,” Noonan said. “That post got some really great interaction and had a couple hundred shares.”
A message soon came in from a woman claiming Old Timer was her dog. She knew his original microchip number and other details, confirming his real name was Jack. The owner, who had moved from Florida to Missouri, had been searching for Jack for over three years.
She quickly arranged for a pet transport service, and six months after arriving at the shelter, Jack (Old Timer) began his journey back to Missouri.
Jack has now found his way back to the owner who never stopped waiting for him.
More information on the story can be found here.
