IT IS incredibly difficult for any pet owner when a beloved furry friend goes missing.
The sad truth is that many lost pets never find their way back home, but few owners ever give up all hope of seeing them again – miracles, rare as they are, have been known to happen after all.
Over two months ago, the Araç family from Turkey were left devastated when three of their puppies disappeared from home.
They searched high and low for any sign of the beloved canines, to no avail.
Fast forward to last week, and Sertaç Araç – whose parents owned Leo – was visiting a town around 100km (62 miles) from his family home recently when he spotted a stray dog that looked just like him outside a café.
"I took a picture [of the dog] and sent it to my mother and father. I was in doubt,” Sertaç told The Dodo.
Sertaç's parents couldn't tell from the photo whether the pooch was indeed their four-legged-friend, so they drove to the town to see it with their own eyes.
Soon all doubts were resolved. Unbelievably, it was Leo.
Bu aile Leo'ya (Sokak köpeği) Zonguldak'ta bakıyor. Köpek bir gün kayboluyor. Aile, bayram için Bartın'a gidiyor. Bir kişi Leo'yu Bartın sokaklarında görmüş olabileceğini söylüyor. Sonrasını izliyorsunuz...
Posted by İŞSİZLER on Monday, June 10, 2019
What happened next was caught on camera by Sertaç and shared on Facebook.
Leo recognised his family immediately and couldn't hold back his irrepressible joy, waving his tail and jumping up to his equally elated owners.
"When Leo saw us, he was very happy and we were very happy," Sertaç added.
"We're so happy Leo is home. I will look carefully everywhere I visit in hopes we find [the other two dogs].
"My father and mother will continue to search as long as they can, because they see them as their sons and love them."
The Araç family suspect the disappearance of their dogs was the work of a local dognapper.
But with Leo's safe discovery, hopes are now bolstered that they, too, will one day be found.
