Athena, the disabled pup, went missing from her Missouri home in February 2020. She was recovering from getting her leg amputated after being hit by a car and still on postoperative medication.
Her owner Dylan Summers searched everywhere for Athena and posted online in hopes of locating Athena, but "no one came forward." He was suspicious that someone stole her and was so worried about her but she never turned up. Nearly a year later, Summers began searching shelters for a new dog to adopt. He got a surprise when he saw photos of Athena on the website of Gateway Pet Guardians, about an hour away from him.
Summers contacted Gateway Pet Guardians right away to let them know they had his pup. Gateway Pet Guardians Program Director Alisha Vianello shared, "Everyone involved in her rescue had been so puzzled as to how a dog who not only was spayed but was also healthy and had received a life-saving surgery was on the property with other dogs who seemed likely to have never received veterinary care. All the missing pieces really came together when I spoke to Dylan. The next day I contacted her foster family, who was thrilled for her and arranged a time for everyone to meet at the GPG facility."
They shared a photo of the happy reunion to their Facebook page on Friday.
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