Dog Missing for Nearly 7 Years Is Reunited With His Family in Texas
Family also adopted another pup, with one eye, found with their missing dog,
— -- A Texas family believes they've been blessed with a "beautiful miracle" after being reunited with their dog who went missing nearly seven years ago.
The now 8-year-old terrier mix named Corky had escaped an outdoor kennel in the backyard of his family's home sometime in late 2009, according to Jimmy Montez, Corky's owner.
"We searched for him for six months," Montez told ABC News today. "We put up flyers, asked local businesses if they'd seen him and even went door-to-door to our neighbors. But we never found him, and so we assumed the worst."
But this past Saturday, Corky was found by a good Samaritan on a busy street in Fort Worth, Texas, according to Philip Gonzalez, director of development and communications at the Humane Society of North Texas.
Corky had been found with another stray dog with one eye, and the two appeared to have been "very bonded together," Gonzalez said. Shelter staff named the second dog Captain.
Though the Humane Society staff didn't find a microchip in Captain, they did find one in Corky, and were thus able to reunite him with the Montez family, Gonzalez said.
"If the dog could talk, we could only imagine the stories he'd tell," he said, explaining that Corky originally went missing when the Montez family had been living in Boyd, Texas. They have since moved to Fort Worth, more than 30 miles away from Boyd.
Montez said that when he and his family saw how inseparable Corky and Captain were, they decided to adopt the little one-eyed pup as well. It was coincidentally good timing, since the shelter was holding a "clear the shelters" day and waiving all adoption fees.
In the few days Corky and Captain have since spent in their new home, Montez said it's been "so obvious they're best friends."
"Half the day they nap and half the day they play, but whatever they're doing, it's always together," he said.
"It's actually pretty adorable," he added. "It looks like Corky really took care of Captain when they were out in the streets. He always lets Captain eat first, and he'll even stand guard to make sure none of our other dogs bother him."
Montez said he is overjoyed that the "family is now complete" -- and bigger than ever.
Seven years ago, Montez and his wife had Corky and two young children. Now, they have a total of four kids and four dogs.
"It's a full house, but I wouldn't have it any other way," he said.