Sam reunited with his family. (Cedar Rapids Police Department)
Three years ago, Karisa Lambert's 7 year old Yorkshire Terrier, Sam, was in the front yard of the family's New Orleans home when he suddenly went missing. Believed to be stolen, the Lambert family eventually had to accept the idea that Sam might not come back after their efforts to find him turned up nothing.
But Karisa never gave up hope that Sam would be found.
3 years later, a 5.5 pound Yorkshire Terrier turned up at the Cedar Rapids pet shelter in Iowa.
The dog was in fair condition but still needed to be nursed back to health, receiving blood work, skin treatments and dental care. When shelter staff discovered the dog had a microchip, they were able to identify him as Sam, a dog reported missing nearly 1000 miles away in Louisiana.
"Without that microchip, the family from Louisiana would never have known their dog was found," said Michelle Johnson, a Cedar Rapids animal control programs specialist.
When the family was notified, they were both surprised and excited to hear that Sam had been found. But they still needed a way to get him back home to New Orleans from Cedar Rapids.
News of Sam's story spread and when United Airlines found out, they provided Michelle and Sam with free first-class tickets to reunite him with his family.
"This just makes all of us feel really, really happy that we can make this miracle come true for this family and their little dog," said Diane Webber, the animal-care facility's program manager. "Sam was found during Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, and all of us taking care of this dog and finding a way to reunite him with his family really bonded us together in a special way."