Rufus escaped from his home one day and his mom, Marisa, could not find him.
Marisa got in touch with Team Frijoles, a local volunteer group, for help, and they immediately acted and spread the word about the missing dog.
Marisa is especially worried because Rufus is deaf. And a deaf dog lost in the streets is not a good combination.
Rufus came into the lives of Marisa, a single mom, and her children when one of her children, nine-year-old Zamora Moon, passed away from a rare cancer in 2017. Rufus was their ‘healing dog.’
They did not know Rufus was deaf at first, but they eventually realized his state when he wouldn’t respond to loud sounds.
Before Rufus lived with Marisa, he was an abused dog and his first owners didn’t know how to manage his condition.
But it didn’t matter to Marisa or her children. They loved Rufus because he was a super-powered dog.
They decided to leave their past behind and start over in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And the move and new environment may have been too much for Rufus, which could be the reason he escaped a month after the move.
And although months have already passed since he first disappeared, because of their love for Rufus, they never really gave up hope that they will be reunited one day.
That day finally came when motorcyclist Arabel Solis spotted Rufus near the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.
That day came months after Rufus was first reported missing. Because Arabel knew what it was like to lose a pet, he couldn’t let any stray just be.
After all, it might be someone else’s pet, which in this case he was Marisa’s pet.
“You think your dog is gone, you’ll never see him again,” Arabel said.
Arabel took a photo and reported the stray and alerted Team Frijoles.
Team Frijoles did not waste any time setting up a trap to lure the stray. At this point, they’re still not sure if it really was Rufus. They set up cameras, a feeding area, and a way to trap the dog. And they were able to capture the dog!
They took the dog to the vet, checked his microchip, and confirmed that he was indeed Rufus!
Marisa and her family were informed, and they immediately had a virtual reunion since they were in Spain at that time.
And when they returned, they had such a sweet reunion!
Rufus wasn’t sure at first, and he smelled Marisa before confirming that she was indeed his mom. His tail began to wag at lightning speed, and he couldn’t get enough cuddles from his mom.
After almost a year, he was so happy to be back in the arms of his family.
“Life changes in a minute,” Marisa said. “I don’t know the powers that be or if God was involved, I don’t know, but I feel like a big miracle has happened and I feel truly blessed.”
Watch the wonderful reunion between Marisa and Rufus in the video below.
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