Dog missing for four years found 500 miles away in different state

A beloved dog that went missing in Colorado in 2020 was recently found on the streets of New Mexico some 500 miles away.

Patches the pup and her owner Benjamin Baxter were reconnected over the weekend in a heartfelt reunion four years after she went missing from a friend’s home, local news station KRQE reported.

The pooch was staying at Baxter’s friends’ home in Calahan, Colorado after he relocated to Nebraska for work and moved into a home that didn’t permit residents to have pets.

Baxter was looking for a new place where he could bring Patches home but the free-willed canine disappeared before he could bring her to Nebraska, according to the outlet.

“She’s kind of been a Houdini her whole life. And we had ventured all over the country together. So, for her to, you know, run away, you know, chasing butterflies or rabbits, like it wasn’t uncommon, but she always came home,” Baxter told the station.

But this time was different.

“By day seven, I was like, there’s just no way, I’m never going to find this dog again,” Baxter said.

It may have taken a bit longer than expected, but Baxter finally got the call that his dog was found.

His wife called to let him know that Patches was at the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She had been found living as a stray on the streets of the city of Anthony by local animal control and brought to the shelter.

The shelter checked for a microchip and found Baxter’s info.

“I’m looking through these pictures. I’m like, ‘this is my dog,’” he said. “I haven’t seen this dog. I have thought this dog has been probably dead for the last four years. And just seeing her was, I mean, mind-boggling. I cannot explain to you how crazy that was.”

Patches, who is now 10 years old, made the long journey from New Mexico to Nebraska with the help of friends like the one in Colorado who was caring for the pup when she went missing.

She finally made it back to her owner — four years and many miles later — on Sunday.

“I’m not a big crier. But you know, I definitely was getting some teary eyes just seeing my dog back in front of me again,” Baxter told KRQE. 

The shelter that helped reunite the pair reminded pet owners to get their beloved family members microchipped — using Baxter and Patches’ story as a testament to the technology.

“This reunion serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love and the remarkable role technology plays in reuniting lost companions,” Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley Executive Director Clint Thacker wrote in an email to KRQE. “Please remember to microchip your pets and keep the owner information current.”