A tiny dog’s big reunion

"Could that be my Sassy?” The thought that ran through Chaleita Wesley’s mind when she was looking at adoptable pets on the Best Friends Animal Society website and saw a photo with two big eyes staring up from a little dog wrapped cozy blanket. She looked exactly like the dog who had wiggled her way into the lives of the Wesley family.

It seemed too good to be true, but a string of numbers would confirm all Chaleita and her family’s hopes.

What turned out to be a multi-state saga all began when Chaleita first met Sassy during an adoption event at a shelter in the Las Vegas area where she and her family live. Amid all the excitement, one small senior dog sat quietly watching.

"She was the only little dog that was there that was not barking or making any noise," Chaleita says. "I have a 10-year-old autistic son, so I thought, 'I need a dog that's calm.'"

The connection was immediate.

A better way to reunite lost pets with their people

"She was just staring at me, and I'm staring at her," she says. "So I decided, OK, this is the dog for me.'"

Chaleita’s son took to the pup, but he wasn’t the only one—the whole family couldn’t resist her charm. Then, they were in the middle of moving when Sassy just disappeared. Moving is stressful on its own, and in the hustle and bustle, it’s a prime time for pets to slip out an open door and go for a stroll on their own.

Chaleita checked shelter websites, made phone calls, and followed every lead she could find. The family refused to give up hope that they would find their beloved pup.

When she couldn't locate Sassy at any local shelters, she widened her search — including at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary around 200 miles away. Chaleita checked Best Friends’ website, and there was Sassy’s photo looking back at her.

So she made the call. Yes, Sassy had come to the Sanctuary from a shelter in Las Vegas. And to further confirm that she was their missing pup, Chaleita got out the information from Sassy’s microchip.

With every number Chaleita read from Sassy’s microchip number, Sassy was just a little bit closer to getting back to her family. The microchip was unregistered, meaning that when Sassy landed in a shelter and then at Best Friends, there was no way to look up who she belonged to, but Chaleita had all the paperwork, and that helped her confirm that her little dog had not only been picked up, but that she’d gone on an unplanned road trip to Utah.

Watch: Heartwarming reunion between dog and his person

Volunteers offered to drive Sassy the two-hundred mile distance back to Las Vegas and back to her family. Shortly after the call came in, Sassy was on the road home.

The reunion was the kind every lost pet deserves.

"When the van came to bring her back, my husband ran quicker than everyone to meet her," Chaleita says.

Today, Sassy is back where she belongs, with her microchip information up to date so they’ll always be able to be reunited if Sassy has another adventure.

"Now she's back here living her best life at 12 years old," Chaleita says.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.