Missing Chihuahua Returned Home After 8-year Search
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Losing a dog is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking moments for a dog owner.

No doubt any loving owner would do anything to find their precious pup.

But even if someone does everything they can to find their missing dog, sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

As heartbreaking as it is, some dogs unfortunately never return home.

That is exactly why this story about a little dog named Maya is so special….

Maya goes missing
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Guardie Zoofile Ambientali Norsaa Latina
In August 2011, in the town of Latina, Italy, Maya disappeared without a trace. Silvia and her husband had gone to the beach and left Maya with Silvia’s mother.

But when her mother returned from the market, Maya had disappeared.

Silvia was devastated, and the search for Maya began.

Silvia hung posters, talked to neighbors and searched for months, but Maya was nowhere to be found.

Silvia even thought Maya might have been taken by someone.

“I looked everywhere for her,” Silvia said, “but I couldn’t find her. I was so sad.”

8 long years
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Guardie Zoofile Ambientali Norsaa Latina
For eight long years, Silvia missed her beloved Maya.

She had lost hope of ever seeing her little pup again.

But sometimes miracles happen when you least expect them.

The phone call
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Guardie Zoofile Ambientali Norsaa Latina
In August 2019, after eight years of silence, Silvia received a surprising phone call.

The organization Guardie Zoofile Ambientali Norsaa Latina had found Maya.

Maya was discovered thanks to her microchip and after a report from a kind lady who saw her wandering the streets.

“When I heard the news, I thought it was a joke,” Silvia said, “but it was really true. I started crying because I was so happy.”

A joyous reunion
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Guardie Zoofile Ambientali Norsaa Latina
When Silvia saw Maya again, it was a moment of pure joy.

Maya was a little scared at first, but soon realized that Silvia was her owner.

“When I reached out my hand to her, Maya jumped at me. I sobbed and she licked my face. She recognized me and her home.”

They hugged each other and Maya’s long journey back home was complete.

Return of Maya
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Guardie Zoofile Ambientali Norsaa Latina
Maya had changed a bit over the years. She was eight years older and had some white hair on her muzzle, but she was still the same Maya that Silvia had missed.

“Now that she’s back, Maya follows me everywhere,” Silvia said. “She is cheerful and playful and she even steals my shoes.”

Maya needed surgery for a hernia, probably due to a failed spay and many births.

Silvia suspected that someone had used Maya to make money and then abandoned her.

Maya’s story reminds us to never lose hope, even in the darkest of times.

And for Silvia and Maya, their love and bond remained unbroken no matter how much time had passed.