Heartbroken, Chris Becker thought he would never see his late father’s beagle, Rosie, again. However, a surprising phone call from a rescue group over 1,000 miles away changed everything.
iHeart Animal Rescue, a Florida-based nonprofit, contacted Becker with news he could hardly believe. Rosie had turned up alive in Hollywood, Florida, after being surrendered by an anonymous individual. When the rescue scanned the dog’s microchip, they were able to trace her back to her original shelter in Maryland, and ultimately, to Becker.
The 12-year-old beagle holds a special place in Becker’s heart. A decade earlier, following his father’s death, Becker lost contact with his father’s girlfriend, who had stepped in to care for the dog at the time. Now, ten years after they last saw each other, Rosie was finally able to reunite with her late owner’s son.
In an interview with People, Becker said he didn’t waste any time bringing her home. Before making the long journey back home, he decided to get Rosie the ultimate reunion gift: he adopted Storm, an emaciated dog who had also been surrendered to the same shelter and had quickly formed a bond with the senior beagle.
iHeart Animal Rescue President Cindy Mucciaccio explained how Rosie ended up at the facility in the first place. According to Mucciaccio, the person who surrendered Rosie said she had received the elderly beagle from a friend but could no longer handle the responsibilities of caring for a senior dog.
“Somebody called, and she had a dog that somebody gave her, and she wanted to surrender it because she couldn’t keep her,” Mucciaccio told WPLG Local 10. “So she wound up finding the owner’s son, because two years after the dog was adopted, the owner died. And the owner had a girlfriend who loved the dog very much and took the dog with her. And after a few years, they just lost touch.”
Now, both dogs are ready to leave their troubling pasts behind for a fresh start with Becker.
Even though a significant amount of time has passed, and Rosie has aged, Becker said he could still recognize the same sparks in her eyes.
“I didn’t recognize her because her face is so gray and white, but I saw those eyes, and I recognized those eyes somehow, and sure enough, when we got a couple more pictures,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude toward everyone who looked after Rosie during their years apart.
“I was really excited to see her. Especially knowing where she just came from and someone obviously took care of her, she’s happy,” he added.
Netizens were elated by the happy ending for the senior beagle, with one writing on YouTube, “So happy Rosie was united with family. God bless you all.” “Amazing man and amazing story!!” said another. A third user added, “GOD BLESS YOU SIR!!!!! DAWGZ ARE THE BESTEST DAWGZ ARE FAMILY THIS BRANG TEARZ TO MY EYEZ!!!!!!!”
