For those who have experienced canine loss, there is no greater feeling than being reunited with their cherished companion. And the reunion was all the more special since one Baytown, Texas, family had to wait an entire four years to have that moment with their cherished German shepherd, Sheba.
Sheba’s owner, Stephanie Moore Malmstrom, told Daily Paws that it’s like if she never left. It is such a blessing that she is back.
When her family was visiting a neighbor’s house in January 2018, Sheba vanished from sight. The family realized something wasn’t right when they returned and saw her wasn’t resting beneath the patio or responding to their calls.
The family posted fliers and searched day and night before remembering to watch their surveillance tapes and discovering with great sadness that Shaba had been taken. The family notified the microchip business and carried on looking, but as the years went by, it became more difficult to hold out hope that their stolen dog would return home.
In August of this year, Moore Malmstrom had a startling surprise when he noticed that Sheba had been located in two text messages and two missed calls. She initially believed it to be a hoax, someone preying on her affection for her lost pet. However, Jerry Harper, the animal control officer, told her that he had really located her stolen dog—600 miles away in the town of Borger—when she contacted the number.
Moore Malmstrom was delighted but also apprehensive about maybe experiencing another heartbreak. Pictures of her face, her paws, anything that would prove it was her Sheba, she demanded. However, Moore Malmstrom and her spouse were unsure it was Harper until they FaceTimed her the next day and recalled they’d gotten Sheba an identity tattoo.
“I thought, ‘This is her!'” after that. You guys have my dog, you guys have my baby! I was eager to hop in the vehicle and head out,” she declares.
Sadly, Sheba had to drive twelve hours (a full day’s travel!) to return home, so the family had to wait patiently for a volunteer group to arrange for Sheba’s flight.
Moore Malmstrom claims that the seven days were the longest of his life.
Sheba remembered her family the instant she walked off the aircraft and smelled them, despite the years of waiting and Moore Malmstrom’s worry that Sheba may not remember her.
Moore Malmstrom claims that she was tugging at the leash and was unable to reach us quickly enough. And that was extremely emotional for us. The word “excitement” is a misnomer. Our family was incomplete for four and a half years, but today it is complete.
Sheba hasn’t skipped a beat despite the addition of two new family members since she vanished: a little boy called Mason and a rescue pit dog named Poppy. She may be moving a little more slowly these days, but she still loves spending time with her family, playing in the yard, and giving Mason, her new favorite young kid, cheese sticks.
Moore Malmstrom describes Sheba as “a once in a lifetime dog.” She is outstanding. It is such a blessing that she is back. If anyone learns anything from our tale, it’s to microchip your pets and never give up on them in the event that they become lost or stolen—happy endings may be found.”