2024-02-14 18:28:24
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – A dog that went missing in Colorado was found four years later and more than 500 miles away in southern New Mexico. Patches the dog is now happily back with her original owner, Benjamin Baxter, in Nebraska.
Patches went missing in 2020 while she was at Baxter’s friend’s home in Calahan, Colorado. “She’s kind of been a Houdini her whole life. And we had ventured all over the country together. So, for her to, you know, run away, you know, chasing butterflies or rabbits, like it wasn’t uncommon, but she always came home,” said Baxter.
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Patches had to stay with Baxter’s friend because when he moved to Kennesaw, Nebraska, for work, he moved into a place that didn’t allow pets. Baxter said he planned to take Patches back once he found a place she could live with him; however, Patches went missing before that could happen. “By day seven, I was like, there’s just no way, I’m never going to find this dog again,” Baxter said.
Patches and Benjamin in 2019. (Credit: Benjamin Baxter)
Four years later, Baxter got a call from his wife, saying Patches was found at the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The shelter said Patches was found by Dona Ana County Animal Control as a stray in the nearby city of Anthony. “I’m looking through these pictures. I’m like, this is my dog. I haven’t seen this dog. I have thought this dog has been probably dead for the last four years. And just seeing her was, I mean, mind-boggling. I cannot explain to you how crazy that was,” he said.
Baxter said he is thankful for his other friends who helped get Patches microchipped while he was away in military training in 2018. “It’s not something I had ever even considered. But I’m grateful, now in retrospect,” he said.
Patches journey back to her owner didn’t stop in Las Cruces. Baxter’s friend, who was watching Patches in Colorado when she went missing, helped the pup get from New Mexico to Nebraska. Patches officially arrived home on Sunday, which was an emotional moment for Baxter.
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“I’m not a big crier. But you know, I definitely was getting some teary eyes just seeing my dog back in front of me again,” Baxter said. Patches is now getting adjusted to living back at home, and Baxter plans to take her to the vet for a full checkup since she is now 10 years old.
“This reunion serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love and the remarkable role technology plays in reuniting lost companions. Please remember to microchip your pets and keep the owner information current,” Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley Executive Director Clint Thacker wrote in an email to KRQE News 13.
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