German shepherd missing for a year returns to owner after being found 1,600 miles away
A German Shepherd who was missing for over a year will be reunited with his family - just in time for Christmas.
Found 1,600 miles away from his home, Zeppelin - who is three years old - went missing from West Sacramento, US back in October 2021 and has now been found over a year later.
Zeppelin's owner, Sandra O'Neill, was devastated when her beloved pooch went missing.
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She explained how he would run over to some nearby construction workers to say hello each day, but one day he never returned.
She told NPR: "He's a very outgoing, loving dog. So every day he'd go down there and either he'd come home on his own or I would go out to get him.
"I have no proof but I think somebody down there fell in love with him and took him home."
The family have been looking for Zeppelin ever since, but one day, they received a phone call to say Zeppelin was alive and well.
A woman in Kansas said she had found the missing pup in her garden and had taken him to a nearby vet to scan his microchip. They soon realised it was missing Zeppelin.
Sandra said she was 'floored' when she got the call, and is now looking forward to having Zeppelin home for Christmas.
"Just the other night my husband and I were driving past the old construction site and I said a little prayer. 'I hope you're somewhere safe'," she said.
The very next day, she got the call from Kansas. The pooch will now be driven back to California to be reunited with his family after many months.
"I'm sure he's going to love every minute of it. He loves car ride. I am just so grateful for all of the good folks along the way who have helped in trying to get this puppy home to us," said Sandra.
"I can't wait to see him. We've missed him so much He was the best doggy daddy. He’s going to be so happy.”
Sandra says she's not only looking forward to her own reunion, but she's also excited for Zeppelin to be reunited with the litter of puppies that he fathered just before he went missing.
The pups were just weeks old when Zeppelin vanished and although most have been adopted by other families, Sandra kept two - Angus and Sweet Pea.
How Zeppelin ended up hundreds of miles away is still a total mystery.
Lucy Devine