A man on the other end said he was “the rightful owner” and that the puppy had been stolen from his yard two days ago. I thought it was some kind of scam until he described the little white patch on the pup’s back leg. Then he sent me a photo. Same dog. Same face.

I pulled over, heart pounding. I looked down at this little bundle who had just started to relax in my lap. He was finally breathing slow. He was finally home.