Every owner’s worst dread is losing a beloved pet, but losing a dog shortly before a devastating storm arrives takes the issue to a whole new level.
Unfortunately for Ceecee, a native of central Florida, this was her life only days before Hurricane Ian devastated her state. Diamond, Ceecee’s 7-month-old American pit bull terrier, followed her out the door on a normal shopping trip. Ceecee didn’t aware her adorable pooch had followed her out of the store, which was only a block away from her house.
Ceecee knew it was a race against time when she discovered Diamond was missing. Hurricane Ian, the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018, was anticipated in a few days, and the chances of finding Diamond after the storm made landfall would decrease.
Diamond reminds me like a youngster. Ceecee describes her as “just my baby.” All I could worry about was my kid being separated from me and not being able to find me when the storm approached.
Ceecee sprung into action right away to attempt to find her lost puppy. She contacted animal control, who advised Ceecee to use Petco Love Lost, a database that assists in reuniting lost dogs with their owners. Ceecee shared Diamond’s photo and labeled her as missing with great expectations.
Diamond, she had no idea, had been discovered shortly after she had snuck out of their house. Diamond had followed her owner all the way down the street to a business, where an employee discovered her in the parking lot and took her home. He’d also added Diamond’s photo to the database. The match was made using Petco Love Lost’s pet picture technology, and the finder was able to contact Ceecee immediately after, leading to the pair’s reunion just two days after they parted.
I had been preparing myself for the possibility that she may never return home. “Of course, it was a huge relief when she did,” Ceecee explains. “She was so happy to be home, she jumped right into my arms.”
Ceecee and Diamond’s particular bond makes the reunion even more memorable. Ceecee suffers from epilepsy and a neurological disease, and Diamond is her trained service dog. Ceecee claims that Diamond has already saved her life in the six months they’ve been dating.
She claims that without her, she would not be able to live an independent life as she does now. She is everything to me, my lifeblood.
Ceecee and Diamond stayed together during Hurricane Ian. Despite without electricity for five days, they had a generator that kept them going. We are overjoyed for Ceecee and Diamond’s happy reunion after going through every dog owner’s worst nightmare!