After 371 Days on the Lam, 'Scruffy' The Dog Is Home in RivCo

THOUSAND PALMS, CA - A Palm Springs man was tearfully reunited with his long-lost terrier Tuesday, following more than a year of searching and hoping that 6-year-old terrier Scruffy would reappear.

Scruffy went missing 371 days ago somewhere near the Bermuda Dunes Country Club, according to animal control officials.

Michael Greer left town for work in October 2015, only to return and find that Scruffy, who was left in the custody of a friend, somehow disappeared.

Animal control officials said Greer became a familiar face at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, checking regularly at the shelter and the surrounding area for Scruffy, but without success.

Supervising Animal Technician Marisa Sanabria said Greer "had given up, because he had been to our shelter many times."

However, Scruffy was found Monday on Patrick Drive in Indio by Animal Control Officer Paul Villanueva.

Scruffy was brought to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, where it was discovered that the dog had a microchip, leading to Tuesday's joyful reunion.

Sanabria said Greer wept tears of joy when she saw him reunited with his long-lost pooch.

"When he saw his dog, he wanted to jump into the kennel" Sanabria said. "He couldn't believe his dog was here."

— By City News Service / Images: Riverside County Department of Animal Services