Beloved dog was found tied up after owner’s death. Then came an emotional reunion
A beloved dog was found tied up after his owner’s death — then came an emotional reunion and adoption in Florida.
Photos posted online show Ares the dog being playful as he reconnected with a close friend of his original owner.
“His next owner had tragically passed away, and they never knew what had happened to Ares,” Alachua County Animal Resources wrote Dec. 22 on Facebook.
The friend of the first owner raced to the shelter, confirming that the dog was Ares. After the two came face to face once again, the friend “decided to finalize his adoption and make this reunion a permanent one,” the shelter wrote.
Social media users couldn’t get enough of the heartwarming post, which garnered more than 2,000 reactions and over 200 comments within about a week. Some said the story left them crying tears of joy.
“Ares knew so much love before, and we are so happy he will never be without it again,” the shelter wrote.
Ares, believed to be about 7 years old, got a second chance after he was found “tied up at a dog park.” Alachua County Animal Resources said it made a post about Ares, which led the friend to recognize him.
The shelter described Ares as a dog who will “melt into your lap” after he’s done being playful. While the dog has the same name as the Greek god of war, the shelter instead called him the “god of.... CUDDLES.”
“I suppose I can be valiant at times while I am surveying the land and on watch for squirrels, but 99.9% of the time I’m just waddling around, happy as a clam,” the shelter wrote Dec. 20 on Facebook.
Alachua County Animal Resources is based in Gainesville, home to the University of Florida and roughly 110 miles northwest of Orlando.
The shelter didn’t say what happened to the first owner or immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Dec. 28.
This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Beloved dog was found tied up after owner’s death. Then came an emotional reunion."
