{"id":22049,"date":"2025-12-15T16:33:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T21:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=22049"},"modified":"2025-12-15T16:33:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T21:33:19","slug":"in-christmas-miracle-missing-dog-is-found-5-years-later-2300-miles-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/12\/in-christmas-miracle-missing-dog-is-found-5-years-later-2300-miles-away.html","title":{"rendered":"In ‘Christmas Miracle,’ Missing Dog is Found 5 Years Later, 2,300 Miles Away"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Helping Paws and Claws \/ Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nearly five years after her rescue dog disappeared, Patricia Orozco still thought about Choco every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still talked about him all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cI wondered what he\u2019s doing; I wondered how he is \u2026 When you have a pet disappear, everything races through your mind. \u2026 Is he alive? Is he okay? Is he being treated well?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, unexpectedly, Orozco \u2014 who lives in Sacramento \u2014 received a text from a microchip company. Choco had been found \u2014 2, 300 miles away in Lincoln, Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought in a million years this would happen,\u201d said Orozco, 29, who adopted Choco, a wirehaired Dachshund mix, from her local shelter in 2016.<\/p>\n

Choco was found tied to a fence outside Lincoln Park Animal Shelter in late November. Orozco quickly contacted shelter staff and provided photos and identification to confirm she was his owner.<\/p>\n

At first, she assumed Choco was found in Lincoln, California, about 30 miles from Sacramento. It wasn\u2019t until the end of the call that she realized he had somehow ended up across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that point, I just felt like my heart dropped on the floor,\u201d Orozco said.<\/p>\n

With two young children, including a 4-month-old, Orozco worried about how she would bring Choco home.<\/p>\n

She posted on Facebook asking for advice. Cindy Walden \u2014 a former animal control officer and board member of Helping Paws and Claws nonprofit in Loomis, California \u2014 saw the post.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe reached out to her and said that we would help her get her dog home,\u201d Walden said.<\/p>\n

Walden checked airfare, and it was quite costly. She put a callout on social media asking for donations. Choco weighs about 15 pounds, and would be able to spend the flight in a carrier under someone\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n

Penny Scott, a volunteer humane dog trapper in Sacramento, got in touch with Walden, as her son works at an airline and would be able to get her a standby ticket. She was hoping to give the ticket to Orozco, but when she learned she has two young children, she realized someone else might have to transport the pet.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuddenly, I said, \u2018well maybe I could go,’\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

Another community member donated airline miles, covering the full cost of the trip without Scott having to go on standby.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 2, Scott flew from Sacramento to a layover in Denver, then to Detroit to pick up Choco, who was brought to the airport by a volunteer.<\/p>\n

She then flew with him to Chicago, but a delayed flight caused them to miss their connection to Sacramento. Scott and Choco spent nearly 14 hours at Chicago O\u2019Hare International Airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis dog was amazing; never whimpered, never growled at anybody,\u201d Scott said. \u201cI walked him through the airport on a leash the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orozco described Choco as a sweet, calm dog. But he also had a mischievous streak \u2014 he loved running and exploring.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a sneaky door dasher,\u201d Orozco said, adding that Choco got out a few times but would always come home. \u201cHe was basically like Forrest Gump, but the dog version.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orozco\u2019s neighbors knew about Choco\u2019s tendency to escape, and Orozco had reinforced the fencing around her home. Still, in May 2021, Choco slipped out \u2014 and he didn\u2019t return. Orozco put up posters around the neighborhood and contacted local shelters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was extremely worried,\u201d she said. \u201cTo this day, I don\u2019t know how he got out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Months passed with no sightings, and Orozco assumed he was gone for good.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was grief for me,\u201d she said. \u201cSince then, I have not had a dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

She never imagined Choco, now 11, would come back into her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is seriously a Christmas miracle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

No one knows how Choco traveled from California to Michigan, or whether he lived with anyone in the meantime. Orozco said she couldn\u2019t believe how far he got \u2014 and she felt sorry for him knowing he dislikes cold weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a California sun-loving dog,\u201d she said. \u201cHe hates the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Dec. 3, Scott and Choco arrived in Sacramento. Walden picked them up at the airport and drove them to Orozco\u2019s house \u2014 the same one he used to live in \u2014 for the reunion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as we got out of the car, I set him down and he went right to her; he wanted to go home,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took a village, but it all just came together,\u201d Walden added, emphasizing the importance of microchipping pets.<\/p>\n

Walden inspected the yard at Orozco\u2019s home to ensure it was secure enough that Choco wouldn\u2019t get out again. Orozco installed a double gate for extra protection.<\/p>\n

Even knowing Choco was coming, Orozco couldn\u2019t believe her eyes when he appeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018Can someone pinch me?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m still in shock.\u201d<\/p>\n

Choco has slowed down with age, but Orozco said his personality remains unchanged.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still the same, most loving, cuddly, always wants to be on-top-of-you dog,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Orozco said she is amazed at how the rescue community rallied to reunite them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just extremely grateful,\u201d she said. \u201cWords can\u2019t describe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on The Washington Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nearly five years after her rescue dog disappeared, Patricia Orozco still thought about Choco every day. \u201cI still talked about him all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cI wondered what he\u2019s doing; I wondered how he is \u2026 When you have a pet disappear, everything races through your mind. \u2026 Is he alive? Is he okay?…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":630,"featured_media":22052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-messages"],"yoast_head":"\nIn 'Christmas Miracle,' Missing Dog is Found 5 Years Later, 2,300 Miles Away<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A missing dog named Choco from California finally made it home for the holidays five years after he disappeared.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/12\/in-christmas-miracle-missing-dog-is-found-5-years-later-2300-miles-away.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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