Lost dog found 600 miles away after nearly four years

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A dog that went missing from a family friend's Colorado home in 2020 turned up four years later near the Mexican border -- nearly 600 miles away.

Benjamin Baxter was 13 years old when he brought home a 6-week-old puppy named Patches, but in 2020 he had to move to Nebraska for a new job, and his new rental home did not allow dogs.

Patches stayed with a family friend in Calhan, Colo., while Baxter searched for a new home that would allow his pet, but she had only been staying with the friend for a couple of months when she escaped.

Baxter said he initially wasn't worried, since Patches had a history of escaping, but as the days went on and there were no responses to the "lost dog" posters, he gave up hope.

Baxter's wife, Elizabeth, received a phone call Jan. 31, from his mother, who said she had been receiving calls about Patches being found in Las Cruces, N.M., but she suspected the calls might be a scam.

Baxter contacted the shelter and was soon convinced that they indeed had his long-lost furry friend.

Patches was brought from New Mexico back to the family friend's house in Colorado, where Baxter said he will soon drive to bring Patches home for good.

A lost dog was found in England in December after an even longer period of time -- six and a half years.

Lost Dog Recovery UK South said the dog, named Rose, fled home less than 24 hours after being adopted and was found living in the woods six and a half years later. The dog, now 12 years old, had been surviving on her own for nearly half her life, the organization said.