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

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.

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.

"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.

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.