A Chicago woman experienced a deeply emotional reunion with her chihuahua, Flor, more than a decade after the dog vanished. Vanessa Antonino, who was experiencing homelessness and living in her car with the then 4-year-old dog in 2014, lost Flor when she went to work and returned to find her pet gone.
Antonino described Flor as her constant companion during a difficult period in her life. After an extensive search proved fruitless, Antonino had largely resigned herself to the idea that she would never see Flor again, though she kept a photo of the dog to show her three children, referring to Flor as their "big sister."
Flor was recently found by a storm-damage volunteer near a roadside in Geary, Indiana, approximately 30 miles from Chicago. The dog, now 16 years old, was reportedly scared and disoriented.
Volunteers at the Evanston Animal Shelter were able to locate Antonino after scanning Flor's microchip. The reunion, captured on video, showed Antonino overcome with emotion as she embraced her long-lost pet. "I broke down completely. She was back with me. A piece of my heart was back with me," Antonino said, her voice filled with happiness.