‘Finally made it home’: Arizona man reunited with lost dog after 8 years while on his way to help LA wildfire victims
Damian, Paul Guilbeault’s miniature pinscher, went missing in 2017 while he and his family were in the middle of a cross-country move.
In a heartwarming incident, an Arizona man was reunited with his lost dog after 8 years while he was on his way to provide relief for wildfire victims in California. Damian, Paul Guilbeault’s miniature pinscher, went missing in 2017 while he and his family were in the middle of a cross-country move from Massachusetts to Arizona, AZ Central reported.
The pooch slipped out of his leash and ran when the family made a brief stop near Oklahoma City. Guilbeault and his family stayed in the area for a week to look for Damian, but were unable to locate him.
“He either got fed up with being scolded or scared, and he just ran away. He started running down the service road, and I couldn’t catch him,” Guilbeault told the outlet.
Guilbeault’s father eventually had to call off the search. For years, Guilbeault posted about Damian on social media in the hope that someone had found him. He believed his beloved dog would find his way home.
How was Damian found?
Now, eight years later, Damian was almost hit by a car when he ran across the road into traffic in Oklahoma City. Behind the wheel was Donna Bentley, who told ABC15 KNXV, “He turned to me when I picked him up. He was screaming and tried to bite me, but I wasn’t going to put him down and let him get run over.”
Bentley’s brother Rick Chambers brought the dog to a vet. Damian, now 13, was a little underweight and also had overgrown nails. However, overall, he was in good health.
The vet went on to scan Damian’s microchip, which listed Guilbeault’s contact info. Guilbeault was going to Los Angeles to donate clothes to the wildfire relief efforts when his Apple Watch pinged. Damian had finally been found.
Guilbeault and Damian were reunited in Oklahoma City 14 hours later. “Not until when I got in front of him that I realized how much of an old man he had become,” Guilbeault said.
Despite staying away from Guilbeault for so long, Damian immediately recognised his owner. “When we go there, he gets such a smile on his face. Like, ‘I know where we’re at. I finally made it home,'” Guilbeault said.
