Stolen Pitbull ‘Finally Home’ With Pennsylvania Family After He Vanished Over Decade Ago

A pitbull is “finally home” with his family after he was stolen from his owner’s yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, more than a decade ago, the city’s animal care and control organization announced.

“After all that time, his family never stopped hoping he’d come back,” Animal Care and Control Team Philly wrote in a Monday, March 23, Facebook post that showed heartwarming footage of the reunion.

The pitbull, Forty-Cal, and another dog were stolen from Jourdyn Koviak’s backyard in Northeast Philadelphia in 2015, WPVI reported.

Though the second dog was ultimately located, Forty-Cal’s whereabouts remained unknown until recently, according to WPVI.

ACCT Philly located Forty-Cal the evening of Saturday, March 21, the TV station reported.

The organization wrote on Facebook that Forty-Cal’s family “kept his lost pet report active and made sure his microchip information stayed up to date, just in case.”

“Yesterday, that ‘just in case’ became reality,” ACCT Philly said.

The shelter’s staff scanned Forty-Cal and discovered he had a microchip, resulting in them finding his family, according to the organization.

The video shared by ACCT Philly shows Forty-Cal meeting his family again on Sunday, March 22.

“I am overwhelmed. I am shocked. I am in disbelief,” Koviak told WTXF-TV.

“He kind of had the shakes. There was a lot going on. Different smells everywhere. So, he came up to us, as gentle as always, sniffed our hands and was kind of just looking around the room,” Koviak said while speaking with the TV station.

Koviak told the TV station that her son, who is now 10, was a newborn at the time of Forty-Cal’s disappearance.

While it is unknown where Forty-Cal had been since he vanished, Koviak told WTXF-TV that he appeared healthy. Forty-Cal is now 14.

“He’s white and black. His white was not dirty. He is as soft as a rabbit as he has always been,” she said while speaking with the TV station.

In sharing the news of the family’s reunion with Forty-Cal, ACCT Philly is reminding the public of the importance of pets having microchips.

“This story is amazing, but it’s also an important reminder: microchipping works, even years later,” ACCT Philly wrote in the organization’s Facebook post. “Collars fall off, tags get lost, but a microchip is permanent.”

“Just remember, it only works if it’s registered and your info is up to date,” the post continued. “If you’ve moved or changed your number, take a few minutes to update it!”

ACCT Philly runs the city’s animal shelter, located in North Philadelphia, and cares for thousands of animals.