Winter Haven woman reunited with dog lost 5 years ago in North Carolina

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Vanessa Ayala got a call that she never expected.

After her beloved pit bull Rosey went missing five years ago, she had given up hope, but today her dog is back in her arms.

“As soon as I came in through the door, she immediately recognized me and started jumping all over me,” Ayala said.

Ayala drove to North Carolina to pick Rosey up on July 2. Rosey went missing in 2018 when Ayala’s ex-husband was involved in a car crash in Richlands, North Carolina.

“She just ran away. So I was there for a week, searching every day. I was knocking on people’s doors, giving them my phone number,” said Ayala.

Ayala moved back down to Winter Haven, praying that someone would find Rosey and care for her.

Two weeks ago, Ayala got a phone call that Rosey was found in the woods nearly 40 miles away from where she was last seen.

“I was just in shock, to be honest. She was telling me this. I was on the phone, and I didn’t even know what to say because I never thought that I would get her back,” Ayala said.

It’s all thanks to Donna Bourget, who runs a nonprofit called You Will Be Found (Lost Dogs). It took six months using trail cams and different traps to catch Rosey.

“We put steaks. We put rotisserie chickens. We did everything I knew how to do. I can catch a dog in four hours in a trap, but Rosey was not having it. She’s a smart dog,” Bourget said.

Rosey’s microchip was not registered. Bourget tracked down the city where it was implanted and was able to find Ayala’s contact information.

Bourget has helped reunite 385 lost dogs all over the United States. She said Rosey was her hardest dog to catch.

“To find an owner after five years, and then when she said she wanted her back. That’s what melted my heart. That’s what makes what I do all worth it to me,” Bourget said.

The seven-year-old pit bull has tested positive for heartworms. Ayala has started a GoFundMe to help with Rosey’s vet costs.

“God more than answered my prayers, and I got to bring her back,” said Ayala.