Internet in Awe As Elderly Man Reunites With His Missing Dog — All Thanks to a Pair of Smelly Socks
Some reunion stories on the internet are just too miraculous and heartwarming to forget. This perfectly describes the reunion story of 93-year-old Norm Fagenbound and his missing dog, Sunny. (Watch Video Below)
Norm’s nightmare began on an ordinary day when he left his Los Angeles home to go grocery shopping. What Norm didn’t know was that 7-year-old Sunny would shortly afterwards jump over the backyard fence in an attempt to follow him. Unfortunately, sweet Sunny lost her direction along the way and disappeared.
At first, Norm was optmistic that Sunny would find her way home within a few days. He never imagined that Sunny’s day one of missing would turn into almost two weeks without her.
@abcnews A 93-year-old man has been reunited with his lost dog — thanks to a pair of smelly socks.
♬ original sound – ABC News
The Unlikely Strategy
As days went by without Sunny showing up, Norm decided to reach out to a local volunteer rescue team that specializes in locating missing dogs: Dog Days Search & Rescue.
The team immediately sprung into action, stapling flyers of Sunny everywhere, checking in with local shelters, posting her online, and scouring the neighborhood. Then, after a week of relentless searching, a reliable lead came in: someone called, reporting they’d spotted Sunny at a nearby nature reserve.
The rescue team knew they had to act fast since Sunny was at great risk of being attacked by wild animals roaming the reserve.
“There’s no water, there’s coyotes, we knew she was on borrowed time at that point,” Justis, one of the volunteers, told ABC News. Without wasting time, Justis & her team set up a few traps around the areas where Sunny had been frequently sighted. But instead of using tasty food or treats to lure Sunny into the traps, they settled for an unlikely item: Norm’s pair of smelly socks.
Justis and her team knew that Norm’s unwashed socks, as smelly as they were, carried a familiar scent that would instantly remind Sunny of her favorite human. Surprisingly, they were right.
A Successful Rescue
It didn’t take long for Sunny’s powerful nose to lead her into one of the traps. She was inside the trap within half an hour, sniffing the smelly socks that had the irresistible scent she trusted most.
And as the door closed gently behind her, Justis & her team knew without a doubt that they had employed the best tactic for this case. Sweet Sunny was thereafter reunited with her beloved human before being taken to the vet for a check-up.
Sunny is finally back home where she belongs, and Norm has a reason to smile a little harder, knowing the two weeks of agonizing worry are now behind him. It’s beautiful to see that these two are back to being the best friends who never leave each other’s side; a reunion only made possible by the power of a pair of smelly socks.
