HOUSTON — A United States Air Force airman will see his long-lost dog this week for the first time in three years after a remarkable turn of events.
“Honestly, I was devastated because he was my only dog,” said USAF Airman First Class Ryland Brown. “I’d spent every waking moment with him before I left for basic, you know I had pictures of him in my locker at basic.”
Brown left his 6-month-old Great Pyrenees with a friend in Houston in 2017 before he went to basic training in San Antonio.
His former friend gave “Wrangler” away and the service member never saw his dog again.
Life went on, and so did Brown, who moved with the Air Force to Spokane, Washington, more than 2,000 miles from Houston.
Fast forward to last month, at a home in Montgomery County, the scene of a suspected animal hoarding case.
Investigators said nearly 200 animals were living in some of the worst conditions they had ever seen.
More than 190 animals were removed from the house, included a big white dog in a small kennel.
“The good thing is he had a microchip,” said Houston SPCA Communications Vice President Julie Kuenstle.
It turned out the dog was Wrangler.
“I was just driving, and a text message popped up on my phone and it said your pet Wrangler Brown has been found by Jay,” Brown said.
KHOU 11 made a FaceTime call with Brown from the Houston SPCA so Brown could see his dog for the first time in three years.
On Valentine's Day, United Airlines will fly Wrangler to Spokane to be reunited with Brown.
The reunion has been years in the making.
The Houston SPCA pleads with pet owners to not only have them microchipped but to also update your information over time so that if your pet gets away, it can be returned to you as quickly as possible.