Eight Years Lost: A Man and His Dog Reunite Against All Odds
When Paul Guilbeault’s beloved dog, Damian, disappeared in 2017, he never gave up hope. Yet, after nearly a decade apart, he still finds it hard to believe that a single phone call would bring his long-lost companion back into his life.
"I still feel like it's a big dream," Guilbeault told ABC News.
A Devastating Loss During a Cross-Country Move
Eight years ago, Guilbeault was in the middle of moving from Massachusetts to Arizona when he made a pit stop in Oklahoma. That’s when tragedy struck—Damian slipped from his leash and ran off.
Guilbeault, his father, and a friend spent hours searching into the night, only stopping when they encountered a mountain lion. They stayed in Oklahoma for another week, desperately trying to find Damian, but their efforts led to nothing.
As the years passed, Guilbeault continued to post missing posters and share Damian’s story, but eventually, the pain became too much to bear. "Just seeing his missing poster hurt too much, and I didn't share it as often as I used to. I thought that, honestly, he probably became food for that lion we ran into."
An Unbelievable Phone Call
On January 15, 2025, while driving to California to donate supplies to wildfire victims, Guilbeault received a call from an unknown number. He ignored it—until the caller texted.
"My Apple Watch gave me a little preview, and it said, 'Your dog, Damian, has been found,'" he recalled. "And I was like, 'What the ...?!'"
A woman in Oklahoma City had nearly run over Damian, rescued him, and brought him to her brother, who cared for the dog until he could take him to a veterinarian. A microchip scan confirmed what seemed impossible—Damian belonged to Paul Guilbeault.
A 14-Hour Drive to Reunite
Upon hearing the news, Guilbeault and his husband turned their car around immediately, driving 14 hours straight to Oklahoma, arriving at 6 a.m. the next morning.
When they saw Damian, he was visibly older, his fur scruffier, but there was no doubt—it was him. The moment they locked eyes, Damian’s tail wagged, and the years apart melted away.
Back Home After Eight Long Years
On the drive back to Arizona, Damian curled up in his owner's lap, occasionally turning back to look at Guilbeault with what could only be described as a smile.
"I feel like he was thinking, 'Oh my god, is this real? Did I really find him finally?'"
Now, reunited, Guilbeault and Damian are making up for lost time. Every day, they go to the park, but Damian prefers to stay as close as possible to his owner.
"Every time I get up to leave the room, he's just like, 'OK, where are you going now?'" Guilbeault said.
He has one message for pet owners: "Microchip your pets! Microchip your dogs, your cats— even your birds can be microchipped."
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