After 9 long years, lost dog recognises his family

After nine years a lost dog had an emotional reunion, as his family members drove over 4000 km to an animal shelter in Colarado, US to take him back.

Who is the dog?

• His name is Boozer, who is a 10-year-old dog of the boxer mix. He had recently showed up at the Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colorado, and a microchip scan identified the lost dog.

• Boozer went missing from his family's home in Tennessee in 2006 when he was eight months old. Seeing the deserted dog a family had kept him for nine years. After moving to Colorado their new place didn't allow dogs so they had left him at an animal shelter.

Emotional Reunion

• Llyod Goldston (owner) said "My daughter was 15 years old when she returned home from school and found an empty backyard, "It was shattering, I didn't ever expect to see him again."

• Once Boozer was brought into the shelter his microchip was scanned and Goldston was contacted. Goldston said his wife, whose email was registered on the microchip, got a message on 3 August with the subject line "Boxer dog." After an exchange of pictures, he said he knew at once it was Boozer.

• Acting promptly, Goldston along with his family drove 4,116 km from Lacey's Spring, Alabama, to the animal shelter in Colorado for taking back Boozer to home.

• "Whatever he's got left, however many years he has left, it's just going to be filled with love and family and fun. And you know, he's home," said Goldston.

• He was not prepared for the dog to remember who he was, "My hope was that he recognised me, but I didn't put much value in that at the time. We were going to love him whether he remembered us or not," Goldston said.

• After meeting the family Boozer did a couple of circles behind the door and then just beelined straight to them.