‘Never thought I’d see him again’: Dog missing for 5 years reunited with his owner
A Louisiana woman experienced an emotional reunion with her beloved Yorkshire terrier, Kingston, who had been missing for five long years. Debbie LaFleur had lost hope of ever seeing her dog again after he disappeared during Hurricane Laura in 2020 in Lake Charles. But this week, her missing pet resurfaced 300 miles away in Mississippi.
Found on a fraternity’s back porch
Kingston was discovered sitting calmly on the back porch of the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at the University of Southern Mississippi. Fraternity president Neal Rachal recalled the moment he spotted the unexpected visitor: “I walk outside, and there’s just this Yorkie sitting there in a red T-shirt.”
The fraternity brothers took the little dog in and affectionately nicknamed him “Benji.” The next day, the vice president of the fraternity had the dog’s microchip scanned. That’s when they discovered his real identity — Kingston — and learned that he had been missing for five years.
An emotional call and a fast road trip
Debbie LaFleur received an email notifying her that Kingston had been found. “Before I could call him, he called me,” she said. “My heart just started pounding. I told my boss, ‘I found Kingston, I found Kingston,’ and we both just started yelling and screaming.”
Without hesitation, LaFleur and her son made the four-hour drive from Louisiana to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to reunite with Kingston.
A joyful sprint and tearful reunion
“As soon as she got out the car and he saw her, we’ve never seen Benji run like that,” said Rachal. “He sprinted with his ears perked up. It was just awesome to see.”
The reunion was bittersweet for LaFleur, who shared that her husband, Joe, had passed away since Kingston’s disappearance. “They were best friends,” she said. “They were like two peas in a pod. The only down part is that my husband is gone now, but he probably made this happen.”
An honorary fraternity brother
During his short stay, Kingston became part of the Kappa Sigma family. “He’s like a member of the chapter right now,” said Rachal. “He’s done everything with us for the past week. Through our eyes, he is a Kappa Sig.”
LaFleur expressed deep gratitude to the fraternity members who helped bring her dog home. “Wonderful, wonderful guys,” she said. “Everybody wouldn’t have done that — taken the time out to find who the owner was. I’m so happy to have my baby back.”
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