Dauz, short for his family's name "Dausman," lived a great life with his 3 canine friends, two kids and a Mom and Dad. But one day while he was out in his front yard, someone stole the little Italian Greyhound and took him far away from his beloved family.

Alicia Dausman says that the day after the pet went missing, she posted pictures on Facebook, put ads on Craigslist, handed out flyers, contacted shelters and Italian Greyhound rescue groups. She even contacted the police, but Dauz could not be found.

She said that the loss was hard on the entire family especially her daughter Lilian, who was only one year old when the dog was purchased. "She would just cry her eyes out," Alicia said of Lilian. "She said, 'Mom, I want my dog.' And I had to say, 'Sorry, I don't know where he's at.' I put his crate and toys downstairs. I couldn't even see a picture of him, I would cry. It hurt."

Alicia believes that the dog was stolen by a friend's family member who was temporarily living with them last summer and that the dog was given to a man who lived in Virginia, who gave the dog to his wife as a birthday gift. Dauz was always a friendly dog and would to up to strangers easily for a pet on the head or to join in a game of fetch, but he would never stray from home. "He's my only dog I can have without a leash," Alicia said.

Known for speed, the Italian Greyhound broke free and ended up in an animal shelter in Fairfax, Virginia, nearly 900 miles away. Fortunately, Dauz was microchipped and the shelter contacted the Dausmans. Alicia was driving when she got the call about her beloved dog that had been missing for eight months. "I was freaking out when I got that call," Dausman said. "I was shaking; I was so excited I had to pull over. I got (Lilian) from school and she was walking down the hallway towards me. When I told her we found Dauz, she just stopped dead in her tracks."

The company that monitors Dauz's microchip transported the dog back to his home in Illinois as part of the subscription service that the family has. The family says that he is a little thinner, a little lighter in color and that now his bark seems a bit raspier but he's still the same dog as before. He's also enjoying the extra attention as well as the gifts of toys, clothing and treats from his family, neighbors and friends.

"If there is one lesson to be learned, it's get your pets micro-chipped," Dausman said. "And never give up. Miracles do happen."