In Fairfax County, Virginia, one family of pet owners are overjoyed after their long-lost pet made its way across county borders and back home.
The county’s animal shelter shared the news in a post Friday afternoon, after a family came to look for a new furry family member.
“They’d been looking around for a while, but just hadn’t felt a connection yet,” the shelter said. “They looked through our adoption kennels but still no one caught their eye.”
That’s when a furry friend made a connection with the family of four — as it turns out, this mighty soldier, whose actual name was Dante, was theirs all along. They just didn’t know it yet.
“Their dog had gone missing in another county a while back and they looked everywhere but didn’t think he could’ve made it this far away,” the shelter said. He’d reportedly been found in Clifton, Virginia, on Aug. 2 and returned to the shelter by a community member.
With tail wagging, jumping and a bit of excited whining, Dante was returned to his home after a long search for a new adoptable pet. The Fairfax County Animal Shelter said the beloved dog was found thanks to a bit of sweet serendipity.
“Maybe this was the universe not letting them feel a connection with any other dog because Dante was still waiting for them.”
Editor’s Note: Our furry friends don’t need a passport to get from county to county. This story has been edited to further clarify that the daring Dante was still in the U.S.