When animal control officers picked up a scruffy, gray-muzzled stray on the streets of San Antonio, they could tell right away — this wasn’t just any street dog. Beneath her dirty, matted fur and loud barks was a pup who clearly belonged to someone.
As soon as a leash slipped over her head, the 10-year-old dog, later identified as Coco, sat politely, wagging her tail like a proper lady.
“At the shelter, she was gentle with everyone she met,” said Lisa Norwood, public relations manager for City of San Antonio Animal Care Services. “One staff member who visited her in the kennel told Coco, ‘Your family is coming. Your family is coming.’”
The team posted Coco’s photo online and hoped her family might see it.
A few days later, that hope turned into reality. While scrolling through the shelter’s website, Ms. G froze — staring at the face she thought she’d lost forever.
Coco had gone missing seven months earlier after slipping out of the yard.
Despite endless searching, her family had never found her. Somehow, Coco had crossed a busy highway and ended up miles away.
The moment she saw Coco’s picture, Ms. G rushed to the shelter.
That afternoon, the lobby filled with joyful chaos as Coco bounded toward her mom. The senior pup wagged so hard her whole body wiggled, covering Ms. G’s face with kisses. The staffer who had whispered words of comfort from Coco’s kennel wiped away tears as she watched the reunion unfold.
“It was pure joy,” Norwood said. “Everyone could see how deeply loved this dog was.”
After updating Coco’s microchip, the shelter watched as she wrapped her paws around her mom’s leg, holding on tight — as if to make sure she’d never be lost again.
Coco was finally home.
