You're not in Kansas anymore, Zeppelin.
Zeppelin, a 3-year-old German Shepherd-mix, went missing from his California home in October of 2021. Turns out, he made his way across the country and wound up in Kansas a year later.
Last week, Heather Reichart found the dog wandering on her property in Louisberg, about an hour south of Kansas City, and brought him to the Wildcat Veterinary Clinic for a microchip check.
"I went out to the pasture to see what our dog was barking at and found him," Reichart told KCTV. "Ultimately kept him at the house overnight and brought him in [the next] morning. The rest is history."
Thankfully, Zeppelin was microchipped and officials discovered he was far, far away from his home in Sacramento, California.
The clinic contacted a Kansas City-based group called The Pet Connection to help reunite the pup with his owners and on Dec. 18, Zeppelin began his journey back home. Volunteer Mary Hastings lives in southern California but was visiting her daughter in Kansas when she heard about Zeppelin's story. She jumped at the chance to help bring him home, even though he lives hours away from her.
After being missing for 14 months and going on an adventure that took him 1,600 miles, Zeppelin was finally reunited with his family on Dec. 21.
"It was amazing to see him," owner Sandra O'Neill told the Miami County Republic. "I really didn't think we would see him again."
O'Neill told the outlet that Zeppelin disappeared on Oct. 19, 2021 while taking his usual stroll to have lunch with a construction crew working nearby their home. He usually wanders back home or she picks him up, but this time he was nowhere to be found. O'Neill spent countless hours searching for her beloved pet, but found no trace. Still, she never gave up hope.
What Zeppelin spent the next year doing, or how he wound up in Kansas -- no one will know. But his cross-country antics don't matter to O'Neill, who is just happy to have her baby home for the holidays.
"It's the best Christmas gift," she said. "It proves that prayers are answered, and miracles do happen."
The Wildcat Veterinary Clinic said the story should serve as an important reminder to pet parents to microchip their furry friends.
"Microchip your pets, it makes all the difference," it said.
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