Dogs
Man thought he laid his dog to rest until he gets text from animal shelter
When he found out that his dog had been hit by a car, he was devastated. A few days later he got a different kind of text from an animal shelter that left him rattled.
Catherine Marucci
01.28.20

Sometimes, we find hope only after we have let it go. This was the case for one man and his dog.

Ralph Johnson from Sacramento was left heartbroken after having to cremate what he presumed to be the body of his missing dog, Cognac.

That was until he received a completely unexpected phone call bearing some good news.

A sad start to a new year

A few days into the new year, Ralph was working around his home when he realized that his pet, Cognac, was not responding to his calls. He soon discovered that the dog had somehow escaped from his home.

Ralph searched the surrounding area but could not find Cognac. After a while, he began to suspect that the dog had been hit by a car.

Despite only having Cognac for around eight months, Ralph and his furry friend had already developed quite a strong bond. The worried pet owner was distraught over the thought of having lost his dog.

dog
ABC10 via YouTube
Source:
ABC10 via YouTube

An even sadder discovery

This is exactly why Ralph was so distressed when he discovered the lifeless body of a dog on the side of the road, especially when that dog appeared nearly identical to his beloved Cognac.

He was in tears. He thought that his worst prediction had come true.

Maybe it was because it was what he was expecting to see, but he made a reasonable conclusion that the lifeless body had to belong to his pet. After all, the animal looked like his dog and was near where Cognac had escaped.

He took the dog to be cremated and he said his final goodbyes to his friend that day, or at least he thought they were his final goodbyes.


Cognac
ABC10 via YouTube
Source:
ABC10 via YouTube

Everything changed with one text

Only a few days later, while Ralph was still grieving, he received a text with some good news that was difficult to believe. The Front Street Animal Shelter had found Cognac and assured Ralph that he is safe and in their care.

The shelter had scanned Cognac’s microchip and used this data to trace him back to his owner.

Although Ralph was in complete disbelief, he took down the shelter’s information and promised that he would be there the next day.

In fact, he was already waiting promptly outside the shelter’s doors the next morning before they even had a chance to open. He needed to see the dog they claimed to be his Cognac.


shelter
ABC10 via YouTube
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ABC10 via YouTube

A happy reunion

Once the shelter was open, a worker brought Ralph to see the missing dog. The moment Cognac spotted Ralph, he ran and jumped into the man’s arms. They were both incredibly happy to be reunited.


reunited
ABC10 via YouTube
Source:
ABC10 via YouTube

Ralph believes that the microchip was entirely responsible for the reunion. He wouldn’t have looked for Cognac in shelters because he thought that the dog was dead. The only way the two of them meeting again was made possible was by his contact information that was registered along with the microchip number.


together
ABC10 via YouTube
Source:
ABC10 via YouTube

After completing some paperwork at the animal shelter, which he was happy to do, Ralph and Cognac were soon on their way back home, together once more.

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