It took Zeus three years and 3,000 miles to find his family.
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Back in 2011, Ben and Melody Harworth were living in Fort Bragg, North Carolina along with their two sons and beloved family dog, Zeus. The Harworths are a military family so when they were reassigned to South Korea, Zeus, a 65-pound Rottweiler/German Shepard/Chow mix had to stay back home with a friend. The Harworths believed Zeus was in good hands, but in 2012 they received terrible news from their friend, Zeus passed away. The Harworths’s felt helpless as they were left to grieve half the world away.
Last July, Laura Williams of Durham, North Carolina saw a large, brown dog wandering near her home. An animal lover herself, she could clearly tell the dog was unhealthy. “He was looking all lethargic and out of it and not really too well,” Williams said. “He let me put a collar and a leash on him, and he jumped into my car.” Williams proceeded to take him to the vet where she learned that, in addition to a case of fleas, he was microchipped. A quick scan revealed the dog’s name was Zues he had a family, presumably in North Carolina. Williams contacted the Harworths, now living in Washington, and they were shocked. “When I said, ‘We found your dog Zeus’ – because he was listed as lost — they said their dog was dead,” Williams said.
With his family 3,000 miles away, Williams wondered how they could get Zeus back home, so she contacted a local TV reporter through Facebook. The reporter set up a Skype conversation that aired on the local WNCN News. “Zeusy!” Melody Harworth and her two sons exclaimed as they saw Zeus for the first time in three years through the iPad screen. Zeus wagged his tail like crazy. But one member of the Harwoths wasn’t there for the digital reunion. Ben was still in training and had no idea that Zeus was not only alive, but 3,000 miles away.
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Before Zeus’ triumphant flight across the country, Williams took him to the vet to make sure the wandering canine was healthy enough to make the trip to Washington. The veterinarian found heartworms so Zeus wouldn’t be able to fly for six months. It looked as if there would be another stumbling block on Zeus road to reconnect with his family. But Rachel Overby, a practice manager at the Banfield hospital, heard Zeus’ story and volunteered to drive him 3,000 miles home. The story of their journey was tracked on Banfield’s Social Media accounts.
Here’s the dramatic video of Zeus reuniting with his family.
When asked why their friend that was watching Zeus claimed the dog had died, Ben Harworth wasn’t sure. His family hasn’t spoken to the friend since Zeus’ “death.”
(H/T Banfield Pet Hospital)
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