GALVESTON, Texas – A Galveston dog that went missing last year was found more than 1,000 miles away and will soon be returned to her owner.
JoeAnn Navaro says her two pitbulls, Maggie and Blue, vanished from the family's yard in May and were apparently stolen.
"I still look to this day and it has been eight months since May 26th," said Navarro.
Navarro thought she'd never see either dog again when the Kokomo Humane Society called her Wednesday to say that a stranger had dropped off her year-old pit bull, Blue, in the city about 40 miles north of Indianapolis.
Shelter executive director Karen Wolfe says the maker of a microchip implanted in Blue tracked Navarro down. A Galveston Island Humane Society volunteer will leave Friday for Indiana to pick up the dog.
"I was so excited," Navarro said. "I started crying, I was excited. I wanted to go get her right then."
But Navarro says she didn't have a way to get Blue back to Texas.
Luckily, a good Samaritan who read about the missing dogs in a Galveston newspaper, contacted the Galveston Island Humane Society for help getting Blue back.
Rick Mitchell, who donates to the Galveston Island Humane Society, will drive to Indiana in his personal truck and bring Blue home, on his own dime.
"Somebody had to go get the dog," he said. "I'm looking forward to her getting her dog back and watching that."
Mitchell and Navarro have never met but he wanted to help reunite the Navarro family.
"I was beside myself. I just start crying now every time I think about it. And my prayers were answered," said Navarro.
As Navarro prepares for Blue's return, she still wonders how the dog ended up in Indiana.
"I wish she could talk to let me know how she got there," she said.
Navarro says Blue should be home by Saturday.