Ed Lighthall said he was “filled with gratitude” to be reunited with his beloved poodle mix Pete.
An Illinois man got the surprise of his life when he recently reunited with his beloved dog who disappeared 10 years ago.
Ed Lighthall told NBC Chicago that he is “filled with gratitude” after receiving a call from animal control officers in Hammond, Indiana, telling him his missing poodle mix, Pete, had been found wandering the streets in their area.
The animal control officers said they called the most current number on the dog’s tag. But the people who answered the phone said they no longer wanted the dog, whose name had been changed to Stewie, per NBC Chicago.
The animal control officers followed up by checking the dog for a microchip and that’s when discovered he once belonged to Lighthall.
“I’m still on a cloud. This is unbelievable,” Lighthall said. “I would tell people how much I missed him and how much it would mean if he ever came back. There are no words. I am filled with gratitude right now.”
“He is a lot older than when I last saw him … but it’s like yesterday,” he added. “It is like we picked up where we left off. I’m happy. He is happy. Everyone who hears this story is happy. I am so thankful to those folks at animal control. They got me my dog back.”
Lighthall told NBC Chicago he believes Pete may have been stolen after escaping from his yard.
To celebrate their reunion, he planned a party in honor of Pete’s homecoming.
Laney Bunner, who works at Hammond Animal Control, told NBC Chicago that Lighthall was excited when he picked Pete up at their facility.
“It is the longest I have ever heard of a dog missing, then being reunited with his owner,” Bunner said. “It is amazing.”
