In an upward turn of events following Tropical Storm Helene, a lost dog has been reunited with her owner.
The husky mix, named Oakley, had been missing in the wilderness of Greenville County for five months. After Helene, the dog had not been spotted for five weeks.
A look into the heartwarming reunion between Oakley and her owner was captured on video by Anakin’s Trails Stray and Pet Recovery in Greer via Storyful.
Here’s what to know about Oakley’s rescue mission.
How did Oakley go missing?
According to a USA TODAY story, Oakley was one of four dogs who went missing after being abandoned in the woods by their dog trainer. The dogs then wandered Greenville County’s wilderness, with their chances of survival uncertain. This information was shared through a Facebook post on Sunday by Anakin’s.
What other dogs went missing?
Oakley’s mother Nova Jo initially went missing, but she was recovered early during Anakin’s rescue team’s search. Oakley’s sister Marley was caught Tuesday and was reunited with her owners. Juno, the last remaining family member still roaming the wild, is one month pregnant. She is also Oakley’s sister.
How was Oakley spotted after Helene?
Anakin’s rescue team located Oakley on camera following Helene. When they saw her, they began the process of trapping her using a custom trap with food bait. On Saturday, she was successfully recovered.
Oakley momentarily had ‘lost dog syndrome’ when reunited with owner
When Oakley first approached her owner during reunification, she was hesitant and did not recognize her family. This can be seen in the video between Oakley and her owner. Anakin’s referred to this strange behavior as “lost dog syndrome.” Upon sniffing her owner, Oakley remembered her, licking her fondly.
On TikTok, the video has warmed many hearts, receiving over 4.7 million likes, 24.5K comments, and 144.5K shares. Anakin’s shared the following in a Facebook post after the video went viral:
“Oh, how much we love you animal people … and we love catching dogs even more! If you haven’t found that one dogs that changes your life for the good, then go find them. Anakin has certainly changed mine, and opened my eyes and abilities for me and the A-team to save so many more for years to come. He has such a special place in my heart.”
Where is Oakley now?
Oakley is currently back in Ohio with her owner, where she is “decompressing and getting back to life as usual.” Next week, she is scheduled to visit her vet.
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com.
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