After 67 days lost, Dakota the dog reunites with owner thanks to local heroes’ efforts :: WRAL.com

A dog named Dakota is reunited with his owner after he was missing for more than 60 days.

Five strangers, three hidden cameras and plenty of meaty treats helped make the heartwarming reunion possible.

For Sheri Caldwell, losing Dakota was a devastating experience.
She had left him with a pet sitter while out of town, only to receive a distressing call.

"The sitter calls and says, 'Hey, Dakota got away.
He ran off on our morning walk and he wouldn’t come back.' So I’m like, 'So what are we going to do?'" Sheri Caldwell, dog owner said. 

Weeks later, a group of strangers came together to help locate Dakota.
One of them, Kelly Walsh, spotted him miles away in her backyard.

"He was on the far side in the middle and you could see a little white thing wrapped up like a little towel or something until the head popped up," Walsh said.

After that, trained animal rescuer, Jackie Larson, joined the search crew.

"Let’s set up a feeding station here meaning food and water and hunting trail camera which works anywhere without WiFi," Larson said.

Their efforts paid off when Dakota was caught on camera.

"I’m like, 'Oh, my God, oh, my God, that’s my dog, that’s my dog, that’s my dog.
That’s him.
That’s him.
That’s him,'" Caldwell said. 

A few days later, the emotional reunion finally happened—a moment Caldwell says she will never forget.