Imagine getting into an accident and waking up to terrible news – your dog is given away and they have no clue as to whom.
In Florida, a veteran’s life crumbled when he lost the only thing that gave him a reason to go on – his faithful service dog named Sandy Girl.
Larry Peteet is an Air Force veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. To overcome this condition, he got a service dog to support him emotionally. They were inseparable since then, and Sandy girl was with her for almost a decade at that time.
But things were about to turn for the worse.
Larry Peteet was driving when he suffered heart problems. At that time, Sandy was with him like she always used to.
After the first responders got to his location, they asked Peteet if there was a place where Sandy could stay for a while since they can’t bring her to the hospital with him. Sandy was then entrusted to one of Peteet’s neighbors as he recovered.
With the reassurance that Sandy was okay, Peteet came home three days after. He was excited to see his girl after spending days without her. But instead of celebrating his recovery, he was faced with bad news. Sandy was not with his neighbor.
The neighbor gave Sandy away by mistake and they don’t know where she is.
“When it first happened, it was all I could do – to not freak out and lose my mind.” He shared with WFLA News in a shaky voice.
Peteet also explained how much Sandy meant to him. He considered her the love of his life and a constant companion through his tough times. Sandy was her reason to live and the one who made him care about anything.
One can only imagine the pain of being torn apart with the only thing he has left.
Every day since then, Peteet looked for Sandy. He filed a report with the Pasco County’s Sherriff’s Office, gave out flyers, searched the nearby areas for Sandy, and even checked her microchip for clues. Peteet did everything in his power just to get his dog back.
During his search, he came across Jamie Katz, a pet detective from Fort Lauderdale.
Katz is a private investigator who specializes in missing pets. With her help and the information shared by the local news, Peteet finally got the break he was so desperately waiting for.
22 days after being apart, Katz received a call from a person named Steve.
In her Facebook post, Steve explained that Sandy was given to her because she was abandoned. When his boss saw the news about Peteet, he called Katz and reported the lead.
The emotional reunion was uploaded on YouTube and it showed just how much the two of them missed each other.
Peteet was not even anywhere near Sandy yet but the dog’s ears and body perked up as if she already knew who was coming. She ran up to the edge of the enclosure because she just can’t contain her excitement.
With longing hugs and slobbering kisses, Sandy is home and Peteet can now finally rest easy knowing that his best friend is back at his side once more.
Watch this emotional reunion between an Air Force veteran and his service dog who was given up by mistake.
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