Dog missing for 7 years had ‘touching’ SC reunion with owner weeks before his death
By Simone Jasper, The Charlotte Observer (TNS)
A dog missing for seven years had a “touching” reunion with his owner just weeks before he died.
Nugget the dog was found “limping down a wet dark road” in South Carolina — more than 1,700 miles from his home. Then, the Greenville-based organization Carolina Loving Hound Rescue said it helped the pup get back in touch with his long-awaiting family in February.
“Nugget was a warrior and fought to make it back home… and when he did, he knew it was OK to just let go,” the dog’s owner, Facebook user Jessie Springer, wrote in an April 4 post.
Springer told KOB that her beloved pet was in a Farmington, New Mexico, yard when he disappeared in December 2015, setting off a frantic, yearslong search. Facebook posts describe Nugget as a “spunky” dog who had been his owner’s “ride or die.”
“He rode horses, drove with her in the truck, went to rodeos, was kicked by a horse and survived being shot,” the animal rescue organization wrote. “He was and is her heart.”
Then in February, a woman stepping outside to drink tea in South Carolina spotted a 16-year-old dog “in horrific shape.” The dog was “stinky to high heaven” with long nails, an ear infection and muscle loss — which is common in older pups, according to the rescue and WXIA.
The dog was scanned for a microchip, which contained contact information for Springer. Rescue organizations have urged people to microchip their pets and take stray animals they find to vets to check for the devices, McClatchy News reported.
The chip helped to identify the dog as Nugget. He got medical clearance to fly home with his owner before the two had an emotional reunion, rescue officials said.
“There was not a dry eye in the house, I think the entire airport, because people were coming out and watching, even my most (hardened) volunteers (had) tears running down their eyes,” Angela Gschwind, founder and director of the rescue, told KOB.
Over the next two months, officials said “Jessie took amazing care of Nugget and got him to embrace his spunky self.” But the dog’s health worsened in recent days despite his owner trying to feed him.
Nugget’s story resonated with thousands of Facebook users before his death. After the sad update, several people went online to share their condolences.
“I’m really grateful for the miracle of Nugget coming home to his family,” one person wrote. “I’m praying for you all.”
Another person commented: “Nugget waited to be home where he belonged. I’m so very sorry for your loss. He was inspiration to all of those missing their pet.”
While the rescue said it isn’t sure how the dog made it across the country to South Carolina, it believes he brought people together.
“My heart is breaking for Jessie,” the organization wrote. “After all the years missing Nugget she only had him for such a short time.”
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AP Photo/Tina Fineberg, File
FILE - Lola, a French bulldog, lies on the floor prior to the start of a St. Francis Day service at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Oct. 7, 2007, in New York. The American Kennel Club announced Wednesday, March 15, 2023 that French bulldogs have become the United States' most prevalent dog breed, ending Labrador retrievers' record-breaking 31 years at the top.
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