Oct. 29 (UPI) — A stray dog picked up by a Florida police officer was reunited with his owner 7 years after going missing during a burglary.
Gabrielle Hartley said her dog, Luca, was missing from her Tampa apartment when she arrived home from work at 4 a.m. in 2018 and found her front door had been kicked in by a burglar.
Hartley was contacted 7 years later by microchip company PetKey and learned Luca had been found.
The Tampa Police Department said on social media that an officer had found Luca wandering loose in the road.
“Officer Bishop spotted this friendly pup wandering alone and as soon as he opened his patrol car door, Luca jumped in knowing he was saved,” the post said.
Luca was taken to Animal Doctors of South Tampa, where he was scanned for a microchip and Hartley was identified as his owner.
Hartley said she suspects Luca was taken to be used for breeding and was abandoned when his health issues started to mount.
“He had a UTI, blood infection, broken teeth from probably trying to escape a cage, broken claws, defensive marks all over his body. He’s only like 38 pounds for a full-grown male dog, that’s not even close to healthy,” Hartley told Tampa Bay 28.
She said Luca is being treated by veterinarians at Harmony Vet Care.
“He still loves his favorite snacks, strawberries and peanut butter,” Hartley said. “That moment he crawled up on my bed and he’s licking my hand, he’s like looking at me, and I could tell he feels comfortable and safe, and it’s so worth it.”
