Virginia Bell and her family lived in Manatee County, Florida, with their beloved Shih Tzu named Spanky. Bell loved Spanky so much their bond became intimate.
One day, Bell went to their backyard to check on Spanky, but he was nowhere to be seen. She tried calling out his name, but there was no response. It then came to her mind that he escaped by chasing something, or someone could’ve taken him.
Bell’s family helped in searching for Spanky. However, they couldn’t locate him.
Six years passed, and Bell accepted the fact her pup wasn’t coming back.
All of this changed when a woman named Heather Von Seggern took her Golden Retriever out for a walk on Longbay Blvd, Florida, and noticed Spanky wandering around. Heather felt sympathy for him and immediately took him to her home.
As soon as they arrived, Heather took pictures of the Shih Tzu and posted them on a Facebook page called Lost and Found Pets 491. The owner of the page, Patty Giarusso, saw the pictures and took the matter into her own hands. Once she had Spanky, she checked if he had a microchip. Luckily, he did, and Patty instantly contacted Bell about her missing dog.
When Patty got in touch with her, Bell was a bit surprised. After Spanky, she got a new pet dog which is a Yorkie. She named the Yorkie Spanky in honor of her first pet.
The disappearance of her Shih Tzu made Bell forget about him. All this time, she couldn’t imagine what the original Spanky must’ve gone through. But she’s quite glad to have him back in her life and decided to change his name to Gizmo.
Gizmo feels ecstatic to be back home with his owner. He and the Yorkie are also getting along together very well.
Source: ABC Action News
