A Florida family was reunited with their beloved German Shepherd six years after their dog went missing.
The incident comes after local firefighters rescued a lost dog after the animal fell into a canal. The dog, who was later found to be named Bella, was seen wandering a neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale before being reported to have fallen into a canal on Aug. 5.
Florida Family Reunited With Dog After 6 Years
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue's public information officer, Frank Guzman, said that their crew from Engine 47 responded to the reports and safely removed Bella from the water. After they brought the dog to their firehouse, they gave her food, water, and time to rest.
Later, the police department was able to scan Bella for a potential microchip, which they found. It was later discovered that it had been implanted into the animal in 2018. Guzman said that after they searched several databases, they found out that Bella was adopted from Broward Animal Care and Adoption, according to People.
The dog was apparently adopted by the Nicholson family, who live in St. Cloud, roughly 200 miles from Fort Lauderdale, where Bella was found. Guzman said the family suffered from a house fire a few years after they adopted the dog and were forced to move into a hotel.
However, they were unable to bring the animal and were forced to give her to a friend who, without permission, gave Bella away to an unknown individual. Guzman said the family was devastated as they thought they had lost Bella for good, and later moved to Central Florida.
The Nicholson family then drove nearly four hours to Fort Lauderdale to be reunited with their long-lost dog at a local park. When they got there, Bella immediately recognized them and rushed towards the family, Yahoo Life reported.
Picking Up Bella
The people who went to pick Bella up included Lisa Nicholson and Jason Nicholson, along with their two daughters, 11-year-old Jaylianna Nicholson and 18-year-old Liberty Nicholson. Lisa said that hugging Bella felt like their family was finally whole again after years of being separated.
The family added that Bella being microchipped was what helped them reunite with each other, saying that it should be something that does work. They added that at the time when the family friend gave away Bella, she became part of the things that they lost.
Prior to being contacted by officials, Liberty said she had a dream about Bella earlier that week, before they got the call from Fort Lauderdale Police. Lisa said that their dog has been through so much and has been given a second chance at life, as per ABC News.
