McRAE, Ark. (KARK) – A dog named Razzle disappeared from his Arkansas home more than ten years ago.
While his family kept him in their hearts, they had no idea what might have happened to their beloved pooch — until they received a phone call recently from 1,900 miles away in California. They’re now anxiously awaiting an emotional reunion a decade after the disappearance.
The last time the Howard family saw Razzle was in 2011.
For a little perspective, one of their sons was 8 years old when Razzle disappeared; that once little boy just graduated high school.
How the dog got from Arkansas all the way to California is a mystery, but the family can’t wait to get him back home.
Razzle may have lost some dazzle, but he hasn’t lost the love of his owner, Aaron Howard.
“You don’t just have that pet disappear and it not leave a really big hole,” Howard said.
The last day he saw Razzle was routine.
“It was a Saturday morning and we let him out like we had done every morning for six years and that morning, he just didn’t come back,” Howard said.
The Howards looked for months before hope ran out.
Ten years later, hope showed up at a trailer park in Stockton, California.
Animal control ran Razzle’s microchip and gave Howard the good news.
“What? Are you kidding? This can’t be real,” Howard recalled saying. “Just overjoyed that this could even be possible because he’s 16 years old.”
Razzle is being fostered by a woman in California until he’s healthy enough to fly home.
“We’re waiting to just hear. When can we get him? What’s the plan? Were just really anxious to get him back,” Howard said.
Miniature Schnauzers typically live 12-15 years. Howard knows Razzle is on borrowed time.
“We were like, we want him back for whatever time that he has and if nothing else, he will come home and when he does pass, he’ll be at home,” Howard said. “We never thought that we would see him again and have that hole filled back up again so we’re thankful.”
The people taking care of Razzle in California are offering to fly with the dog to Arkansas at no cost to the Howards.