Happy Reunion



Story and Video Courtesy of Winnebago County Animal Services

Roughly 2 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, in another town, took care of  Chaos while Jose got back on his feet. It was three months before Jose was in a position to take his dog back. Sadly, the friend wouldn't let him in the house and refused to give the dog back, leaving Jose heartbroken and unsure about what he could do about it. “I didn’t think I would ever see my dog again,” said Jose.
 Almost two years passed. Then, in 2016, a Winnebago County Services staff member was at home in South Beloit and found a dog sitting in her driveway. She called Animal Services and an officer came out to her house and brought the dog back to the shelter. The dog was wearing a collar with a 2014 National Identification Number.

The next day, 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 about his lost friend wondering what happened to him. He began to scroll through old photos of Chaos. Suddenly, the phone rang!
A shelter staff member called the phone number that was associated with the ID number. Thankfully, Jose still had that 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!
He said,“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!”
The reunion of the ecstatic dog and emotional master was a beautiful thing. Seemingly, Chaos had got tired of waiting for his master to come and get him and set out on his own to find him. They do not forget.
“I haven’t been happier in a very long time! 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!”

An encouraging bright spot in a life which has had a sad and harsh journey for a couple of years. Lately, things are looking up for Jose and Chaos.