Missing For 12 Years: Illinois Family Reunited With Long Lost Dog

I'm a sucker for dog stories, especially those with a very happy ending to them that show sometimes a story comes along that reminds you that “lost” doesn’t always mean “gone forever.”

Just ask Vanessa Antonino of Evanston, who recently got her dog Flor back after nearly 12 years.

According to NBC Chicago, Antonino lost Flor on Chicago’s North Side when the Chihuahua was just four years old. At the time, Antonino was going through a difficult period in her life and Flor had been her constant companion. One day, she went to work and came back to discover Flor was gone.

Then, for more than a decade, Antonino never completely stopped thinking about her. I'm guessing that Flor felt the same way.

dog beside window

Life Goes On, But You Never Forget

She eventually had four children, and she would show them pictures of Flor and tell them stories about the dog they came to think of as their big sister.

Then, incredibly, Flor turned up in Gary, Indiana of all places.

A woman from Louisiana who was in the area helping with storm cleanup found the frightened dog near a roadway and got her to an animal shelter. That’s when the magic (or, more accurately, some very good technology) kicked in.

Flor had been microchipped.

The chip’s information was outdated, but volunteers with Microchip Hunters and Lost Dogs Illinois were able to track down Antonino, who was now living in Evanston. A wonderful volunteer from the Evanston Animal Shelter then drove to Indiana to bring Flor home.

a small brown dog sitting on top of a person's arm

It Would've Been Nice To See The Reunion

According to the NBCChicago report, when Antonino finally saw her, there wasn't much left to say. She cried. She hugged her dog. And after 12 years, a missing piece of her family was finally back where it belonged.

And Flor apparently isn't the only Illinois dog capable of pulling off a ridiculously long comeback.

Last year, Chicagoan Ed Lighthall was reunited with his dog Peter after 10 years. Peter had disappeared from Lighthall's backyard and was eventually found running loose in northwest Indiana. Lighthall celebrated by throwing a full-blown “welcome home” party.

The simple lesson in both stories is to microchip your pets, and make sure the information attached to that chip stays current.

Because you just never know. Flor's family waited 12 years.

And somehow, she finally came home.