Lost Dog Returned to Animal Shelter After Reunion with Owner

According to an NBC New York report, Ruth Torres was separated from Dusty three weeks ago after Torres’ brother took the dog. Torres tells NBC New York that she was not aware that Dusty was lost until she saw him on the “Today” segment.

When animal advocate Jill Rappaport and Center for Animal Care and Control official Richard Gentles introduced an Irish Wolfhound named Mooki in the “Bow to Wow” segment, Torres recognized her furry friend immediately.

“I said, 'That's not Mooki! It's Dusty!' I said, 'Oh my God, Mommy, hurry, hurry! Dusty's on TV,’” Torres told NBC New York reporter Pei-Sze Cheng.

After rushing to the Animal Care and Control Center in East Harlem to rescue Dusty, Torres and her mother learned that Dusty had been abandoned in a park in the Bronx. Torres believes that her brother, who she says has been going through some tough times, left the dog in the park and never called his sister to tell her what he had done.

Because Dusty was not wearing dog tags and did not have a microchip or license, shelter workers had no way of identifying Dusty or his owner.

After arriving at the shelter, Torres and her mother decided to get Dusty licensed in order to prevent such a situation from happening again.

Yet, just days after their miraculous reunion, Torres was forced to return Dusty to the shelter.

Since initially losing Dusty, Torres has moved in with her mother and when she tried to acclimate her pooch in a new home it became clear that he would not get along with her mother’s dogs.

Shelter workers confirm that Dusty has been returned to the East Harlem facility that had cared for him and groomed him prior to the “Today” segment.

While Torres feels “awful” for having to part ways with Dusty, a shelter spokesperson tells NBC New York that the Animal Care and Control Center has already received several calls for the dog, and he is confident that Dusty will be placed in a loving home.

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