BROOKSVILLE, FL — A 13-year-old husky found as a stray in Brooksville was reunited with her owner in Texas after going missing 12 years ago, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
When the dog, Sierra, arrived at Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services on April 8, she “was thin, missing patches of fur and moving slowly, her body showing the wear of time and hardship,” the agency said.
When staff scanned Sierra, they found a microchip that led them to a phone number and a man identified as Bryce.
Bryce, her previous owner, hadn’t seen her in 12 years.
He was in the middle of a move and Sierra was staying at a friend’s house when she went missing, according to a video about the husky’s journey by the social media page We Rate Dogs. (Watch the video below.)
She was last known to be in New Mexico, HCSO said.
Though Sierra, who was last known to be in New Mexico, wasn’t found at the time, Bryce “never stopped wondering what happened to her, but never imagined he would hear about her again… especially not from a shelter 1,400 miles away in Brooksville, Florida,” HCSO said.
While Sierra was in its care, the sheriff’s office said she received medical treatment, medicated baths, daily walks and enrichment. Staff and volunteers worked to help the senior dog recover and prepare for travel.
Eight days after Sierra arrived at Animal Services, she started her trip back to Bryce, now living in Midland, Texas.
We Rate Dogs helped arrange the effort, working with Many Paws Volunteer Transport and thanks to the sponsorship of Best Western.
A relay team of 18 volunteers drove Sierra across five states over a weekend, We Rate Dogs said in the video. Best Western provided free accommodations during the trip.
While on the road trip, Sierra stopped to visit the site of GatorWorld, which has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the world’s largest operational fire hydrant, and received a number of “pup cups” along the way.
Once reunited, Sierra didn’t recognize Bryce after such a long separation.
“Now, 12 years is a lifetime, so Sierra didn’t recognize Bryce at first, but it was clear she found a safe place to land,” We Rate Dogs said. “She’s decompressing, she’s gaining weight, and the most encouraging detail, she’s already choosing to spend all of her time near Bryce.”
The sheriff’s office used Sierra’s case to encourage pet owners to check their microchip information and update it if needed, as that information can be the link that helps a lost pet get home.
“A simple microchip… changed everything,” the agency said, adding, “Without it, Sierra may have been just another lost stray with no way to reconnect her to her past. Instead, it gave her a second chance at the life she was meant to have all along.”
Watch the full video about Sierra's journey by We Rate Dogs below:
See Also:
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
New Port Richey, FL Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.