Dog Missing for 7-Years Reunited With Family After Canal Rescue

Dog Missing for Seven Years Reunited with Family After Dramatic Canal Rescue

Bella’s return to her family was seven years in the making and hinged on a remarkable twist of fate. The Fort Lauderdale pup, missing for nearly a decade, was pulled to safety by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue after she was spotted clinging to the edge of a canal. Exhausted but alive, Bella’s journey took another miraculous turn—thanks to a microchip, she was about to be reunited with the family who had loved her since puppyhood.

Lisa Nicholson, Bella’s original owner, said she was overcome with emotion when she got the unexpected call. “I started crying when they told me, ‘Hey, we found your dog,’” she told WPLG. For Lisa, the news was especially bittersweet, bringing back memories of the hardships her family endured years earlier.

In 2018, a devastating house fire forced the Nicholsons to relocate. Their new housing had a strict no-pets policy, so Bella was placed in the care of a friend. The temporary arrangement became permanent when that friend gave Bella away, and as time passed, the trail went cold. The family, now living in St. Cloud, Florida, slowly lost hope of ever finding her.

That hope was rekindled when firefighters spotted Bella struggling by the canal and brought her to safety. A quick scan of her microchip linked her directly back to Lisa. Within hours, the long-lost dog was finally home again, greeted with love, relief, and plenty of happy tears.

Bella’s story serves as a powerful reminder of why microchipping pets—and keeping contact information current—can make all the difference. For Bella and her family, it turned what seemed like an impossible dream into a joyful reunion.

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This content was created with AI assistance and edited by the iHeartDogs team.