Pets are loyal and lovely creatures that once they join a family they soon become a member of it, loved by everyone and ready to love everyone unconditionally. Many pets develop special bonds with children, probably because they are both so pure at heart. What happens if the pet goes missing though?
April Licata’s son, Carter, received a pug puppy as a special gift for his 12th birthday. The family used to have a pug earlier but they had to send it to live with another family, when the youngest son fell sick. Carter soon developed a special bond with the cute pug, Piper, and the two became inseparable- they even slept next to each other.
Everything was great until about a month ago, when the family opened the door letting Piper out to go potty and she never returned. The family asked friends and neighbors if they had seen their dog, but it was all in vain. Nobody saw Piper around for weeks. And that was when they started giving up on the thought that she would return- and they feared the worst.
“We were all sick,” Licata said. “The older kids wanted nothing to do with decorating the Christmas tree and it was a very somber Thanksgiving for them.”
And then a few days later, the miracle happened. During their search for Piper, the family had also posted photos of the missing dog, so when they received a message by Genesee County Animal Shelter, NY, they got their hopes up. And they didn’t get disappointed.
The shelter told April Licata that someone had found and taken a pug to the shelter that looked just like Piper. Licata was shocked, as she admitted, because at that point they had given up hope of finding Piper again. Eventually, April was reunited with the dog, but Carter and his sister, Natalie, were out of town at the time, so she decided to surprise them.
A few days later, when Licata went to pick up her son from school, a surprise was waiting for him in the car. It was Piper… dressed up as a present! Carter got extremely emotional, hugging the dog and crying tears of joy and relief. Piper was just as excited to see her favorite person as he was.
“My son loves his dog so much, was sick while she was gone, and tonite she’s sleeping next to him again. What a Christmas miracle for our family and thank you to everyone who helped bring Piper home” Licata wrote in her Facebook post.
No wonder this was the best Christmas gift this family could ask for this year. A pet is a best friend, a partner in games, a comforting hug when you’re sad, and so much more that words aren’t enough to describe. This was a really heartwarming reunion that touched the hearts of all of us, a reminder that joy and happiness aren’t about material things, but about strong relationships and pure, unconditional love.
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