PHILADELPHIA — A long-awaited reunion has finally happened after more than ten years.

Back in 2015, a Philadelphia family experienced heartbreak when two of their dogs were taken from their backyard. While one of the dogs was recovered, the other, named Forty-Cal, vanished without a trace.

The family embarked on an extensive search for Forty-Cal, which initially spanned days but soon turned into an exhaustive search lasting weeks and eventually years.

As time passed, the family relocated to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, a few hours away. Despite the distance and years gone by, Forty-Cal remained in their hearts.

Determined to never give up, they diligently maintained Forty-Cal’s missing pet report and kept his microchip information current, even though hope seemed to fade.

Then, on a Saturday night, ACCT Philly discovered a stray senior dog, reigniting hope for a miraculous reunion.

The shelter scanned his microchip, and because the information was current, they were able to finally contact the family with the happy news.

Forty-Cal was finally able to go home.

“I thought it was a joke. It’s just amazing, and I can’t believe after years that he was brought back to us,” said owner Jourdyn, fighting back tears. “He’s very old, and he’s going to go home with us and just live his best life for the rest of the time that we have with him.”

The family hopes their story encourages people to never give up and make sure to keep your pet’s microchip updated.