TAMPA, FLA. (WSVN) - A Tampa woman and her dog were reunited seven years after someone broke into her home and stole her precious pet.
Officer Bishop with the Tampa Police Department spotted a Siberian husky wandering the streets last week. The canine had no collar and no tags.
The friendly dog hopped into Bishop’s cruiser.
Bishop took his four-legged passenger to the veterinarian to be checked out. A quick microchip scan revealed the animal has an owner who’s been waiting for him for seven years.
Gabrielle Hartley said she lost her dog Luca back in 2018 after a break-in at her home. She reported him missing, and she said she never lost hope.
When asked whether Luca remembered her, Hartley replied, “Yeah, he does, and his nickname. We call him Blue — like just because he’s got blue eyes — and he responds.”
Hartley said she kept Luca’s microchip registration active all these years. just in case. Last week, she got the phone call she’d been dreaming about.
“They sent me an email, called me like eight times, and let me know, like, my dog had been found,” she said.
Luca was in rough shape and had to undergo surgery to remove a mass.
“We really had to get in there. That was very deep,” said Hartley.
The veterinarian believes that whoever stole Luca used him for breeding and then dumped him when health issues arose.
“He had a [urinary tract infection], blood infection, broken teeth from probably trying to escape a cage,” he said.
Vets said it’ll take about three months for lLuca to fully recover.
After everything, Hartley said, she never stopped believing she’d see her best friend again.
“Then, like that one moment where he crawled up on my bed, and he’s just licking my hand, he’s like looking at me, and I could tell he feels comfortable and safe,” she said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, this is so worth it.'”
These days, Luca is sporting a cone after surgery, prompting his owner to give him a new nickname.
“We call him Cone Head right now,” said Hartley.
Jartley said Luca still loves his favorite snacks: strawberries and peanut butter.
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