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Florida deputies reuniting dog last seen New Mexico with owner after 12 years

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Published  May 5, 2026 11:41am EDT
Hernando County
FOX 13 News
article

Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office

The Brief

    • After 12 years apart, a 13-year-old Husky named Sierra is being reunited with her owner, Bryce, who had last seen her in New Mexico before she vanished.
    • Sierra was found as a stray in Hernando County where she received essential medical treatment and "endless love" from shelter staff to prepare her for the trip back.
    • Despite the massive gap in time and distance, a successful microchip scan allowed deputies to track down Bryce, who had never stopped wondering what happened to his long-lost companion.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A 13-year-old Husky is being reunited with her owner after 12 years of being apart.

The backstory:

The Husky named Sierra arrived at Hernando County Sheriff's Office Animal Services as a stray on April 8. Deputies say she was thing, missing patches of fur, and moving slowly.

The sheriff's office scanned her microchip, which led them to a phone number and a man named Bryce. Bryce hadn't seen Sierra in 12 years and had last known her to be in New Mexico.

Bryce never stopped wondering what happened to her and never expected to find her in a shelter 1,400 miles away in Brooksville, officials say.

What's next:

While with animal services, Sierra received:

  • Medical treatment
  • Medicated baths
  • Daily walks and enrichment
  • And "endless love" from staff and volunteers

Deputies say with the help of We Rate Dogs and a sponsorship from Best Western, Sierra started her journey to Texas and back to Bryce.

The Source: Information for this story was collected from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Hernando County