WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - It was a long journey home for a South Florida dog who reunited with her family after being missing for almost two years.
Balloons were placed outside of a West Palm Beach home to welcome back the lost four-legged family member, Friday.
Tears of joy flowed freely as the family of Relay prepared to reunite with her, more than 19 months after she vanished. “I never thought I would see the dog again, to be honest,” said Richard Moneck, one of Relay’s owners.
Relay, a German shepherd-Jack Russell mix, was found in Queens, New York, last week, but no one knows how she made it all the way there. “They scanned her for a microchip, called the microchip company, and they found out her owner was in West Palm Beach,” said Myra Kennett with Bobbi and the Strays Pet Rescue.
Thanks to the tracking technology, a rescue group was able to figure out where she came from and bring her all the way back to the Sunshine State.
Cameras captured the heartwarming reunion, as Relay wagged her tail while Moneck took her out of her cage.
It’s great to see how the dog definitely recognized them, and I think she recognized that she was back at home,” said Keith DiPolito with Bobbi and the Strays Pet Rescue.
Relay’s homecoming still comes as a shock to her owners. “At first I was in disbelief, and then later on, when we got a picture sent, I had no doubt that was Relay, and I had this huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Moneck.
It became clear right away that distance and time couldn’t break the bond between this family and their precious pet. “I missed you,” said Moneck as he hugged Relay.
It took 22 hours for volunteers to drive Relay back home.
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