"It Feels Like a Dream!": Man Reunited with His Dog 8 Years After Losing Him During a Move
Paul Guilbeault, an Arizona resident, never thought he would see his beloved dog again after losing him during a move in 2017. But eight years later, he received an unexpected call that changed everything.
"I still feel like it's a dream," he admitted after being reunited with Damian, his Miniature Pinscher.
The little dog had escaped from his leash during a cross-country move from Massachusetts to Phoenix and had been missing ever since. Despite extensive searches and countless missing posters, Guilbeault had to come to terms with the heartbreaking reality that Damian was gone.
"I kept looking for him, but as time passed, the search became less frequent. Eventually, just seeing his missing poster was too painful, and I stopped sharing it as often," he told ABC News.
An Unexpected Message That Changed Everything
On January 15, 2025, Guilbeault received a call from an unknown number. He ignored it at first, but when a text message popped up on his Apple Watch, his world turned upside down.
"My Apple Watch gave me a little preview, and it said, ‘Your dog, Damian, has been found.’ And I thought, ‘What the...?!’"
Damian had been found on a road in Oklahoma City by a woman named Donna Bentley, who took him in and gave him temporary care. Her brother later took the dog to a veterinarian, where Damian’s microchip was scanned, leading straight back to his original owner.
A Race to Reunite
The moment Guilbeault confirmed it was really Damian, he and his husband immediately turned their car around and drove 14 hours to Oklahoma.
Upon seeing his dog again, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Damian, now older and a bit scruffier, wagged his tail and recognized his owner instantly.
"He Was Everything to Me"
Looking back on his long-lost companion, Guilbeault reflected on their bond:
"I was everything to him, just as he was everything to me. Losing him was really, really hard."
Now reunited, the two are making up for lost time. Damian spends most of his time curled up in his owner’s lap, following him around the house like he never left.
"They talk about unconditional love. This is exactly that," Guilbeault said.
His biggest takeaway from this experience? A simple but crucial message:
"Microchip your pets!"
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