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George went missing on Christmas, back in 2015, after slipping his leash while on a walk with a dog sitter. They had owned him just two months when he went missing; they’d adopted him from the Atlanta Humane Society after a bad flood had hit South Carolina.
His owners, Julianne Green and Matt Furniss, were visiting New York for the holidays. Devastated, they cut their trip short to come home and begin the search.
In the time thereafter, George gained a following. Green and Furniss posted about his disappearance on Nextdoor. Though many missing-pet posts appear here, George’s story seemed to resonate. People actively reported sightings and helped put up flyers. His owners suspect it may have been because he went missing at Christmastime.
Of course, over time, interest slowed. People speculated about whether George could have survived the winter temperatures. The couple donated his things, but remained hopeful.
And then, they got the call.
George had been picked up about six miles from their neighborhood. Fulton County Animal Services scanned him for a chip and -BINGO!- the couple’s information came right up.
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Elated, they raced to the shelter, not sure what George’s reaction would be.
“He came right up to us and was so lovey and happy,” she told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “And it was like he wasn’t gone for one and a half years.”
Green and Furniss were thrilled, but so were hundreds of others who had followed their plight.
When Green shared the news that George had been found on Nextdoor, the post got more than 230 “thanks” and more than 100 comments in less than a week.
Since his return, the couple learned that George is now heartworm positive, and have started a GoFundMe to raise money for treatment.
“He has become a local celebrity,” the fundraising page says. “Chances are when we meet a new neighbor, they have already heard a piece of his journey.”
The couple said they’re “eternally grateful” for the neighborhood’s support.
Any extra funds from the campaign will be donated to Fulton County Animal Services in George’s name.
