Adriana Perez's 2-year-old daughter had some trouble remembering those blue eyes and furry face, but this story is hard to forget.
Aspen, the Alaskan husky, is back home … nearly two months after he was stolen from his pen.
"Going back to the time that he was gone … a lot of people said you're going to get him back. You'll get him back,” said Perez. "I was skeptical."
It's a happy ending to a bizarre story WSBT News first brought you in June. We showed you how her family posted signs in their front yard …"Bring back my dog you stole."
Perez wanted the thieves who stole Aspen and left a letter explaining why they did it, to bring him back.
The self-proclaimed animal lovers were not happy about the dog being housed in his shaded pen in 90-degree weather and so, they stole the dog.
At the time of Aspen's disappearance, Berrien County Animal Control Director Val Grimes confirmed to WSBT agents came to Perez's house three times in the last two years. Grimes said agents didn't find any problems. Aspen was in great condition.
"When I got the call Sunday I didn't believe it," said Perez. "I thought it was a gimmick." What happened on Sunday was no gimmick. No joke. But, the reunion happened by accident.
The woman who found Aspen was online, but clicked on the wrong page. But the wrong page turned out to be the right page, Aspen’s page. There the woman learned about Aspen being stolen.
What happened between the time Aspen was stolen from the Perez family and Aspen returned home is unknown. But that doesn't really matter anymore.
"If it wouldn't have been for that mistake on the keyboard, she would've never came across (his page) and we probably wouldn't have had him," said Perez.
Aspen might not have returned home for another reason.
Perez said the woman told her she saves animals from being euthanized.
"From what she told me, she didn't know how long he had been there (in the pound), I think it's three days, that's how long they hold the animals," said Perez. "I don't know how long he was in the pound, but maybe we wouldn't have gotten him back and we wouldn't have known about him."
It's not something she has to worry about now. Aspen’s home and happy and so is his family.
