It’s never easy to lose a pet. Often, though, they’re not lost forever. Just ask this heartbroken pet owner who thought he might never see his pup again.
A few weeks ago, Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) took in a dog they found wandering around alone in the Bronx. Everyone at the shelter immediately fell in love with him. They decided to name him Jose and posted a TikTok about the newest arrival at their shelter.
“At 135 pounds, he was an adorable, gentle giant [who] was too endearing to not share,” ACC said in a TikTok.
Meanwhile, though, Jose’s dad, Mecca, was missing him like crazy. He had no idea where he was and wasn’t sure if he’d ever see him again.
Luckily, this story has a happy ending. Mecca, who’d been searching up and down New York for his missing pup, came across a TikTok that completely changed everything.
@nycacc We are so excited to share the reunification story of Mecca (@only1kingmecca) and Mecca Jr. It is wonderful to possess social media as a tool to help owners find their beloved fur companions when they are lost. Thank you @tiktok for helping a father find his lost fur son! Visit nycacc.app to browse hundreds of adorable NYC adoptables. Photos by @tischmanpets #nyc #nycacc #boroughbred #lostdogfound #happytail #hopecore #nycdogs #nationaladoptashelterpetday #adoptashelterpetday #adoptashelterpet
On his TikTok page, he saw the video that the shelter had posted of Jose. Of course, Mecca instantly recognized his beloved pup. As soon as he saw the video, he reached out to ACC. He told them that “Jose’s” name was actually Mecca Jr. and that he’d been looking everywhere for him.
The very next day, Mecca rushed to the shelter to reunite with Mecca Jr. The second Mecca Jr. caught a glimpse of his dad, he transformed — it was almost as if he had become a completely different dog.
“As soon as Jose saw him, he shed his gentle, aloof demeanor, revealing his true wiggly and goofy self. He showered his dad with nonstop hugs,” ACC said.
Normally, ACC has a procedure they go through to ensure that humans who claim a dog are actually the rightful guardians of that dog. But based on Mecca Jr.’s elated reaction, it couldn’t have been more clear that this dog and this human belong to each other.
This story serves as a good reminder of the importance of microchipping — if Mecca Jr. had been microchipped, it would have spared both Mecca and Mecca Jr. from the heartache and anxiety they both had to go through.
But thankfully, everything worked out in the end, as Mecca Jr. got to return home with his dad. Clearly, both their hearts were healed by their reunion.
