Watch: Man Finds His Stolen Dog After Two Years Apart

May 11, 2016

Two years ago, Jose of Columbus, Wisconsin fell on hard times. He was going through a divorce, lost his house, became homeless and had no choice but to live in his vehicle. Jose got Chaos as a puppy and according to Jose, "Chaos helped me through so much in my life, I took him everywhere with me!" A friend of a friend took Chaos and three months later Jose was back on his feet. Sadly, the friend refused to give the dog back, leaving Jose heartbroken.

"I didn't think I would ever see my dog again," said Jose.

This past Wednesday, a Winnebago County Services staff member was at home in South Beloit and found a dog in her driveway. An Animal Services Officer came out and brought the dog back to the shelter. The dog was wearing a collar with a 2014 National Identification Number.

On Thursday, April 28, Jose was going through his emails and he had received a microchip renewal notice. It was time to update his microchip information for Chaos. Jose became upset and disheartened. He began to reminisce on his lost friend wondering what happened to him. He began to scroll through old photos of Chaos. Suddenly, the phone rang!

Thursday afternoon, a shelter staff member called the phone number that was associated with the ID number. Thankfully, Jose had the same contact information. The staff member informed Jose that his dog is at Winnebago County Animal Services. Jose excitedly said, "Choas?!" and he began to cry! "I was speechless and I couldn't stop smiling. I just couldn't believe it."

"I couldn't get to the shelter fast enough," said Jose. "I couldn't wait for it to open so I could see Chaos! I left at 8 am today and had an hour and a half drive, so I was very anxious!"

"I haven't been happier! This has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders and has made my entire week! Thank you so much to all of your staff for all you do. I will always appreciate you!"

Watch the reunion below!