For more than a year, April Morris believed her stolen dog was gone for good. Then one night, watching the local news, she saw a face she’d know anywhere.
Nina Louise, a pit bull, disappeared from April’s yard in Bennettsville, South Carolina, back in December 2013.
It happened in an instant. April and her husband had let Nina out for a quick bathroom break, stepped away just long enough to make a cup of tea, and when they returned minutes later, she was gone.
What followed was over a year of searching, walking miles, putting up posters, and offering a $500 reward, all without a single lead.
Then in March 2015, Carolina Waterfowl Rescue and local authorities raided a cockfighting operation in Marlboro County, arresting 27 people and rescuing 120 roosters.
Tucked among the birds, they found something else entirely, an emaciated pit bull chained outside, with 10 newborn puppies curled up beside her in a makeshift kennel.
When footage of the rescue aired on the news, April instantly recognized her. “We knew instantly it was her. I mean, just the way she held her face, the way she looked up at the rescuers,” she said.
She called the Humane Society of Marlboro County to confirm, asking staff to describe any identifying marks.
When they mentioned two white spots on the back of the dog’s neck, April knew for certain. Nina Louise was home the very next day.
Officials believe Nina had been used to help train other dogs to fight, based on the scarring found on her face.
Despite everything she endured, she settled back into her family instantly, sleeping at the foot of the bed again as if she’d never left, her puppies right beside her.
“I wish she’d have been in better shape, but she’s alive. She’s here with us, and she’ll never go through that again,” April said.
The Marlboro County Humane Society has already found adoptive homes for all 10 puppies, though they’ll remain with April and Nina Louise until they’re ready for the transition.
Nina herself is now being nursed back to health, fully vetted, and will never be chained again.
A quick trip for tea led to more than a year of heartbreak. But it ended with a reunion no one thought was still possible.
Have you ever been reunited with a pet you thought you’d lost for good?
Source:
WPDE ABC15 – “Stolen dog seized during cockfighting raid reunited with owner”