Jake's journey home: Volunteers drive lost dog 2,000 miles to return to owner

Wednesday, May 23, 2018
It took 20 volunteers and four days of driving, but more than a year after he was lost, Jake the coonhound made a 2,000 mile journey back to his family.


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Jake went missing from his home in Peoria, Arizona more than a year ago, ABC15 reports. In April, Jake was found in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania.

Renae Metz with A Darrah Bull Bully Rescue said she's not sure what happened to Jake to get him so far from home, but she suspects he might have hitched a ride.

"We thought maybe a truck driver possibly found Jake in the middle of the night and didn't know what to do with him and brought him home, but we don't know that that's a fact," she said.

The good news was that Jake was microchipped. This helped Metz locate the owners. Surprised that it was registered to a family near Phoenix, Metz reached out.



"We have a 7-year-old coonhound here who is registered to you. Are you missing your dog?" she asked them.

Sure enough, it was Jake's family.
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"This is the exact reason we microchip every single dog that comes through our rescue!" reads a post on Jake's YouCaring page.

With a new baby in the house, though, it would be hard for them to come get him.



That's when Metz's sister, a transport coordinator for rescued animals, put out a call for help on Facebook. They coordinated with the volunteers, and Jake's journey began on Friday.


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Map created by ABC15

The volunteers shared photos along the way so Jake's fans could follow his progress.



Jake was reunited with his dad a few hours from home on Monday. By Monday night, they were all finally back together.

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