GREAT FALLS — Anybody who's ever lost a pet, whether it's a cat or a dog or anything else, knows just how devastating that loss can be and, naturally, after a certain amount of time you start to give up hope.
That was the case for a Colorado man.
He was actually ready to go out and get another dog thinking he would never see the dog he lost again. That is, until he just happened to see what he thought was his dog up for adoption here at the Great Falls Animal Shelter.
On the Great Falls Animal Shelter's Petco Lovelost page, you'll find all of the pets that have been found and brought in to the shelter.
Until recently, a dog the shelter named Kenai was on the page.
"We had him since January as a stray. So we didn't have any background. He had no tags on him, no microchip so we didn't have a clue who's dog this was," explained Karen Hockenberry, Great Falls Animal Shelter dog trainer and behaviorist.
According to the shelter, Kenai's owner, who lives in Colorado and hadn't seen the dog in months, saw the dog and contacted the shelter.
"They sent us a photo and we're, like, 'Yeah, that's Kenai that we have,'" Hockenberry explained.
The owner, who said the dog's real name is Bear, drove from Colorado to the shelter.
"This one was a rare case," Hockenberry said.
The shelter had adopted the dog out to two families, and both times the dog was returned because it was too much for the families to handle.
After about five minutes together, Bear recognized his owner.
"It was really, honestly, happiness to see him go home with him," said Hockenberry.
The shelter shared this video:
MTN has been in contact with the owner but has not yet been able to get an interview.
