It’s always heartbreaking when a beloved dog goes missing,

 

but it’s important to not lose hope: sometimes pets are found months or even years after they disappeared.

That was the case recently, when a family had a happy reunion with a dog who went missing three years ago.

In 2020, Rex and Britnee Smith were devastated after their two pit bulls Jack and Jill ran away from their home in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“Their mysterious disappearance sent us into a state of shock that we were just completely at a loss and so it was devastating to us,” Rex Smith told KLRT.

Time passed with no sign of the dogs, and while they missed them dearly the family began suspect that they might be gone for good. “I didn’t think our dogs would ever come back because they’re such great dogs and I know no one would ever just turn them in or take them to the vet,” Britnee Smith told USA Today.

The family moved 300 miles away to McKinney, Texas in 2021, and as years passed they never expected to hear any word about their missing pets.

But that all changed recently: The family received a call from Little Rock Animal Village, who told them that Jill had been found!

Thankfully, Jill was microchipped with their info, so they were identified as the owners even three years and 300 miles apart. “This reunion would not have happened had she not been microchipped,” Friends of the Animal Village wrote on Facebook.

The family was reportedly “overjoyed” by the unexpected news and quickly headed to Little Rock to reunite with their long-lost pit bull.

“We were so ecstatic, like we got off of work, actually we clocked out early, like we are getting on the road we didn’t pack anything like we literally hopped in our vehicles and zoomed to Little Rock,” Brittnee told KLRT.

When they arrived and the shelter opened up the kennel, Jill recognized them immediately, leading to a heartwarming reunion. “It’s like she never left us,” Britnee told USA Today. “We picked up right off when she left three years ago. She came right into our arms.”

It isn’t known where Jill has been all these years, and there is still no sign of her brother Jack, though Jill’s reappearance gives the family hope they may be able to reunite with both their dogs someday.

The Smith family is finally taking Jill home where they will no doubt be making up for lost time. They encourage all dog owners to get their pets microchipped, which makes miracles like this possible.

We’re so glad Jill is home after all these years! What a miracle — please share this amazing news if you love dogs! ❤️🐾