Chicago woman reunited with chihuahua after 12 years

A woman from Illinois has been reunited with her chihuahua, Flor, nearly 12 years after the pet vanished. Vanessa Antonino had been living in her car when the dog disappeared in 2014.

Following a recent storm in Indiana, a volunteer helping with storm damage discovered the now 16-year-old dog near a roadside. The dog was taken to the Griffith Indiana Animal Control & Shelter, where workers used a microchip to identify her and contact Antonino.

Antonino, who has since rebuilt her life and has three children, described the reunion as having a “piece of my heart back.” Shelter officials noted that the circumstances of the original disappearance suggest the dog may have been stolen, as no local animal control reports were filed at the time of the loss.