Cocker spaniel Belle disappeared from her home in Sturry, near Canterbury, Kent in March 2021 – sparking a desperate search effort.
Owners Josh Burns and his partner Shellee clung to hope of getting their beloved pet back for months – even launching an appeal and offering “a finder’s fee”.
But as the years started to pass, the couple lost hope that they would ever see Belle again.
Josh, 31, said: “The trail went cold and, despite so many people looking out for her, there were no clues as to what had happened.”
However, just last week Josh and Shellee received an out-of-the-blue phone call from a dog warden in Paddock Wood – situated more than 50 miles away from their home.
Belle had been found running loose and her owners had been tracked down using her microchip – leading to an emotional reunion.
Josh, who runs a plumbing and building business, said it was a “miracle”.
He said: “We just couldn’t believe it.
“After so long, we’d pretty much given up hope of getting her back. It’s just a miracle.”
Josh and Shellee first welcomed Belle into their home when she was just a puppy. She disappeared at the age of two.
The couple always suspected she had been stolen from their garden – something that was “confirmed” when they went to collect her at the kennels.
Josh said: “Belle had clearly been treated poorly. She was absolutely filthy and looked very neglected.
“She had also had at least one litter of puppies – and who knows how many more – so she was used for breeding.
“I hope the people that do this to these poor dogs can live with themselves. Because it’s absolutely inhumane.”
When Belle was first reunited with her owners, she was a little disorientated. But that quickly changed when she arrived home.
“As soon as I got her home, it was clear she remembered us. She became super happy and just like her old self,” Josh said.
“We took her to a vet the same day and got her checked and cleaned and groomed. Now, she’s looking like a new dog.
“She is calm and her temperament is friendly, as it always was.
“It’s been a long road, but after three-and-a-half years, we are just so thrilled to have her home.”
In addition to the pain of losing Belle, Josh says he and Shellee also had to deal with thugs who called pretending to have her – before demanding a ransom and threatening to hurt her.
Josh said: “It was disgusting. But we knew they weren’t for real and I wasn’t going to be intimidated by them.
“But most people were really kind and supportive, for which we are very grateful.”
Now, Josh and Shellee are looking forward to helping Belle settle back in and giving her lots of love.
She'll have a new friend too as five months ago the couple welcomed a new addition to their home – a labrador puppy called Winnie.
“They’ve quickly become good friends, which is great to see,” said Josh.
“I just hope that anyone else who has lost a dog reads this and it helps them to hang onto hope that miracles do happen.”
