A Chicago man recently threw a “welcome home” party for his dog after reuniting with him after 10 years apart.
“I’m lucky to have him,” Edmon Lighthall told ABC News of his dog Peter, a poodle mix.
Lighthall’s family and friends gathered at a park to meet with and play with Peter, showering him with attention.
“We went to the park, we did a picnic, we introduced him to his sister [dog] and a couple of other pooches from different family and friends,” Lighthall said of the afternoon gathering. “It was just a great experience.”
Peter went missing from his family’s backyard a decade ago. Then, two weeks ago, Lighthall received a text message from a pet microchip registry company informing him Peter’s microchip had been scanned and he had been found.
The next day, on Sept. 23, Lighthall drove 45 minutes from his home in Chicago to Hammond, Indiana, and laid eyes on his beloved Pete again.
“It was absolutely unbelievable. I saw Pete. He came out, he greeted me, and it was almost immediate. I felt like he recognized me immediately,” Lighthall said, later sharing a TikTok video of their reunion.
“He did his little greeting … he spins around and then he kind of lays in front of you. And I thought, ‘No way.’ I mean, it’s the same dog.”
Lighthall never forgot about Pete, whom he described as “his shadow,” and was convinced they would meet again.
Peter is now about 14 or 15 years old and has slowed down with age, but he occasionally has bursts of “puppy energy.”
The Hammond Police Department said they hope others will realize the importance of microchipping pets after hearing about Peter’s journey home.