Lost dog reunited with family in Arizona after 12 long years | The best thing on the internet

“The minute I opened the kennel door, I could tell by the dog’s body language,” Maricopa County Animal Control Officer Alyssa Sanford said. “His tail started wagging and he kept jumping all the time – he knew it. And after all this time, he still knew. We got in and he was running around. He was like a new puppy again.

It’s not a given that Minion is still alive after all this time. The bichon frisé came into the family of Skip and Raleigh Crandall of Glendale, Arizona, at the age of three, so she is now 15 years old. This is also the average life expectancy of the Bichon Frise, which is a slightly larger breed than the Maltese.

Skip and Raleigh Crandall’s children were 8, 10 and 12 when Minion escaped from the backyard with the family’s other dog. Someone has accidentally left the gate open. The other dog returned, but the Minion did not. The family did everything they could to find Minion. They went to all the animal shelters, stuck posters everywhere and asked neighbors for help. It’s all in vain.

“It was really sad,” Callie Crandall, the family’s 20-year-old daughter, told Fox News. “He was a playful bird and would sleep on my bed. We had a special relationship.” After a month, the Crandalls assumed they would never see Minion again. “Life went on, the kids grew up and we had new dogs in the house,” says Father Skip. “Then suddenly we got this big news.”

Parent Raleigh Crandall received repeated calls from an unknown number at the end of August while standing in front of her classroom and was unable to answer. She sent the voicemails to her husband, who immediately knew they were real calls: They came from the Maricopa County Animal Shelter.

“I had to pick up the dog from someone who reported it as a stray,” said Alyssa Sanford, with animal control. “So, as always, I went looking for a chip. It turns out it was in our system, but the last update was in 2011. That was a very long time ago, but Sanford took her chance. So she immediately ended up with the right family,” he said. “I was in shock,” Skip told Fox News. “I didn’t even know the dog could be there after all this time.”

Sanford himself brought a Minion to the Crandall family home. She warns them that the dog is now “old and slow” and therefore they should not expect a playful puppy. Sanford also didn’t know how well the old dog could see. The Crandalls were prepared for the worst, but the Minion’s swinging tail immediately removed all doubts. “He’s actually started playing with our other dogs, which has been great,” Skip said. And then the Minion had to see Callie again. He hurried home and the client jumped on him from all sides.

The Crandalls had the client examined by their veterinarian. Turns out the old dog needs some TLC, “but I think we’re going to have a few good years with him,” Skip concludes.