While the bright colorful flashes and big booms of fireworks can be fascinating for people, for dogs, unfortunately, they can be disorienting, confusing, and truly frightening.
An adorable Australian Shepherd called Jazzy was only 5 years old when she ran away from her Texas home after being spooked by the thundering noise of pyrotechnics. Sadly, she never came back, but after being missing for almost a decade, the animal was accidentally found abandoned in a hotel room in Florida!
More info: Orange County Animal Services
The dog from Texas, missing for almost a decade, was found abandoned in a Florida hotel, barely able to walk, and is finally back in the arms of her loving owner
Image credits: Orange County Animal Services / Facebook
Image credits: Orange County Animal Services / Facebook
Image credits: Orange County Animal Services / Facebook
According to the dog's rescuers from Orange County Animal Services, when they found Jazzy, she could barely walk, probably due to an advanced case of arthritis, yet the pup was still extremely sweet and gentle. The rescue team immediately fell in love with the adorably cute dog, but very soon realized it would be very difficult to find a home for her, due to her poor health condition and age.
"People line up outside our doors for puppies and small dogs, seniors always get overlooked and ignored," the shelter explained.
Fortunately, the dog had a microchip, and after scanning it the information led back to Jazzy's family in Texas.
"When we called them, we gave them the surprise of a lifetime," the Orange County Animal Services staff wrote on their social media at the time.
"The family was unable to find her anywhere. They searched for her for a long time, and even after seven years, they never gave up hope," they added, noting that together with volunteers, they endure heartache and heartbreak every day, but getting to watch something like this makes every minute worth it.
Jazzy was frightened by fireworks and ran away from her home In Texas when she was only 5 years old
Image credits: Orange County Animal Services / Facebook
The dog's owner, Kerry Smith, a photojournalist at NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, couldn't believe his ears when he received a call from Orange County Animal Services officers telling him that his dog was finally found more than 1000 miles away from home. He immediately jumped on a plane from Texas to Florida to reunite with his long-lost furry friend.
While it was still unclear how the Australian Shepherd ended up so far away from home, Kerry couldn't hold back his tears after seeing her. The dog also couldn't take her eyes off her owner and licked his hand over and over, trying to get as close to him as possible.
"If we could write a happy ending like this for every one of our animals, we would. All we can do is our best. To get them all seen, and get them all home. Like Jazzy," the shelter later wrote on their social media.
The dog definitely remembered her owner and was overwhelmed by finally being reunited with him again.
"My message to everybody is to chip your dog, and I knew as soon as she went to a vet that I would get a call that I’ve been waiting for seven years," Kerry said. "I’ve always wondered if she was alive, if she was happy and feeling well, and she’s not right now but we’ll get her feeling better," he added.
The man explained that Jazzy ran away from home seven years ago after she was spooked by Independence Day fireworks.
"She could jump over the moon if she wanted to, and she did just that on July 3rd. I haven’t seen her since," Kerry recalled.
After driving Jazzy back home to Texas, he looks forward to making the rest of her life as comfortable and beautiful as possible.
"If I can make her end-of-life experience happier, that will be wonderful for both of us," he said.
Image credits: Orange County Animal Services / Facebook
Image credits: Orange County Animal Services / Facebook
According to pet care company Purina, dogs have exceptionally sensitive hearing, therefore strong noises such as thunder or fireworks—which are also usually unexpected—put many canines on edge. In fact, more dogs run away on the 4th of July than on any other day of the year.
To protect dogs from such scary experiences, some experts advise using calming wraps, vests, and shirts which many animals find soothing, bringing their favorite toys, creating a comfortable atmosphere at home and of course, getting them microchipped so people can easily identify the dog and contact their owner.
In Jazzy's case, it took almost a decade for her to be found, but, thanks to the microchip, the dog is finally home with her loving family where she belongs.
People on the internet couldn't believe that it took so long for the dog to make it back to her owner, but they were happy to see such a beautiful end to the story
