When a small brown dog with a distinctive underbite was surrendered to the Wisconsin Humane Society in early July, it didn’t seem like he’d have trouble finding a home.
The woman surrendering the 4-year-old dog, named Payday, said she took him in after finding him as a stray, but he wasn’t a good fit for her household. At the shelter, Payday had trouble adjusting to his new environment. While he was full of energy, he was also fearful of new people and situations.
The Wisconsin Humane Society’s vice president of communications, Angela Speed, told The Dodo that “he’s a really tough dog.” “He has a huge personality for a small dog.”
When there was no interest in Payday, the shelter’s media coordinator believed that little attention might help the small dog find a loving adoptive who could help him overcome his behavioral issues.
However, they discovered a lot more.
Minutes after Payday was featured on FOX6 News Milwaukee’s Adopt-A-Pet segment, Speed received a call.
“They told us that one of their viewers, Dwight, called in because he recognized the dog we had featured,” Wisconsin Humane Society wrote in a Facebook post. “He had woken up early last Wednesday to the sounds of FOX6’s morning broadcast, just as our volunteer started describing a little brown dog with the most adorable underbite.”
“Dwight generally shuts off his TV every night,” the article added, “but must have left it on by accident — or possibly owing to fate.” “Payday was instantly recognized by Dwight after only one glimpse at the photo.”
Payday went missing two years ago after getting loose during a walk at night. Dwight had adopted Payday as a gift for his then-10-year-old daughter, and she still missed the dog terribly.
Dwight’s mom, Melissa, rushed over to the shelter to pick up Payday, and as soon as the little dog spotted the familiar face, his whole demeanor changed.
You can watch the touching reunion here:
“You could see he knew her right away, and it was such a happy reunion.” Speed described the experience as “amazing.” “While most people think of animal shelters as locations to adopt animals, reconnecting abandoned animals with their family is an important aspect of our mission.” It’s a special moment every time we’re able to reconnect an animal with its family… It was an honor to be there.”
Payday has received a warm welcome, with relatives stopping by the family’s home to visit the pup. “They’re back to their old routine. Payday gets up first in the morning — he does not like to go out at night — and he wakes everyone up,” Speed said. “He has two pittie dog siblings and they’re delighted to have him back, too. They were playing right away.”
After a difficult two years, the family finally feels whole again — all thanks to Payday’s 15 minutes of fame.
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