16 Heartwarming Photos Of Lost Dogs Reunited With Their Families

Have a seat and get out the tissues.

1. Abby

McKenzie Grapengeter / AP

Abby, who also happens to be blind, went missing for more than a week during super heavy snowstorms in Alaska. Luckily, she managed to find her way home for Christmas. (A Christmas miracle!!!)

2. Bailey

nwitimes.com

After Bailey, a little Chihuahua mix, went missing for two months, his owner opened a newspaper and found him featured as the shelter's pet of the month! Just another reason to own a newspaper subscription, folks.

3. Puzzle

fremocentrist.com

Puzzle went missing while on a walk in a Seattle park, and returned home nearly a week later. The funny part? Puzzle's owner left the backdoor open, and Puzzle just happened to walk in.

4. Ruca

turnto23.com

The 8-year-old Shih Tzu went missing for just over a week, and here's the thing: Ruca was a gift from an Iraq soldier to his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Brittney. So, when Ruca dug a hole under the fence and escaped, a real-life Ace Ventura pet detective was hired to find her. Voila, home safe and sound!

5. Gizmo

latimesblogs.latimes.com

This fellow 8-year-old Shih Tzu was found with the help of a microchip after being lost for four months. Awww!

6. Pooka

Jeri Clausing / AP

The Chihuahua-dachshund mix was missing 18 months and wandered all the way to New Mexico before being reunited with her owner in Kentucky. A handy microchip's to thank for that!

7. Beethoven (probably)

imgur.com

This big guy was missing less than a week, thankfully, otherwise who would those adorable children cling to?!

8. Aka

dailynews.com

Aka spent two years away from her family before being located more than 20 miles from home at an animal shelter. The reason the Alaskan mix was returned? A microchip.

9. Ginger

nydailynews.com

Ginger flew the coop for 10 years. Yes, you read that right, but the story gets even stranger. Because when the basset hound's owner lost custody of Ginger as part of a divorce agreement, he never thought he'd see her again. So, imagine his shock when he opened a paper and saw the dog listed as part of an adoption center's listings! Looks like she's back with her dad for good, though.

10. Oreo

nbcbayarea.com

It was over four and a half years before Oreo was found. He ran away while in the backyard, and his family had all but lost hope that they'd ever see him again. But he was found wandering the streets, thanks to a microchip.

11. Buster

huffingtonpost.com

During Hurricane Sandy, 1-year-old Buster escaped in the chaos of the storm. After searching for close to a month, they found him: On a shelter website where he was due to be euthanized the next day. Luckily, they were able to reach the shelter just hours before he was scheduled to be put down.

12. Shorty

WCNC

Shorty disappeared seven years ago from her Louisiana home during Hurricane Katrina. At the age of fifteen, she was found with a microchip, wandering through North Carolina. It's unclear how she made it into a different state, but for now she's back with her family.

13. Nick

inforum.com

The 10-year-old military police dog, who served two tours, went missing from his yard. Even though it was only for a day, the family had serious cause for concern: Nick suffers from a serious genetic medical condition that affects his hind legs and requires medication. Luckily, the dog was spotted in a different neighborhood and returned safely to his family.

14. Petunia

digitaljournal.com

This mix breed pit bull disappeared from her home in Virginia back in 2003, and was found eight years later in California. That's roughly 3,000 miles from her home! She was reunited with her elated family on live TV. Pretty emotional homecoming!

15. Earl

Brittany Randolph/The Star

Poor Earl. This loyal German shepherd was stolen from his Virginia home and lost for nearly a month before he was found. Turns out that two men took him from his yard and began train hopping with the dog! Earl was found when the men were arrested for illegal train hopping in North Carolina, and he was immediately returned to his family.

16. Lizzy

Matt Fritz / AP

Lizzy had been lost for over a month, not a great thing considering she's blind. Yes, a blind rat terrier. But an anonymous man, who called himself Santa, dropped her off at a Michigan City animal shelter. The rest is adorable history.