A Thunderstorm, a Lost Dog, and a Joyful Reunion

A Storm, a Scare, and a Missing Senior Pup

When thunder rolled in on June 11, Juliette’s senior dog, Sandy, got frightened and bolted. One moment she was safe at home, the next, she was gone.

Juliette and her family immediately sprang into action, searching tirelessly for weeks. They walked and drove around the neighborhood, checked with local shelters, and scoured lost-and-found pet listings online. Every day ended in heartbreak—no Sandy in sight.

Discovering Petco Love Lost

One day, while scrolling through a rescue organization’s website, Juliette noticed a link to Petco Love Lost—our free national lost and found pet database that uses photo-matching technology to help reunite lost pets with their families.

“I got on Petco Love Lost,” Juliette recalled. “I registered her on there as lost. I was hoping somebody took her in and was taking care of her.”

From that day on, she checked the site once or twice daily, hoping for a match.

A July 4th Miracle

Weeks passed without news. Then, on Independence Day, Juliette got her own kind of fireworks—a miracle match!

When she logged into her Petco Love Lost account, Sandy’s familiar face appeared at the very top of her search results. The photo-matching technology had ranked her as a top photo match, despite some visible weight loss after nearly a month apart.

Juliette couldn’t believe her eyes. After all the searching, there was her sweet Sandy.

Reunited Through Compassion and Technology

Juliette reached out right away to Wendy, the President and Founder at Footbridge Foundation, who had created Sandy’s found listing. Wendy shared that Sandy was safe in foster care with a kind man named Mitchell.

“The thing that stuck out the most to me about Sandy was that she was definitely an animal who had been loved and was missing that love,” Mitchell said.

After Juliette sent over additional photos to confirm Sandy’s identity, Wendy helped coordinate the joyful reunion. When Juliette and Sandy finally locked eyes again, it was clear—their bond was undeniable!

Love Leads the Way Home

Thanks to the power of community and Petco Love Lost’s photo-matching technology, Sandy is now back home where she belongs.

Juliette’s story is a powerful reminder that even when hope feels far away, love and persistence can light the path back home.

If your pet ever goes missing, visit PetcoLoveLost.org to create a free lost pet profile—it could be the key to your own happy reunion story.