Ten years ago, Nikki and Simon's 6-month-old border collie puppy, Sammy, disappeared right from the front lawn of their home.
They searched for him desperately, putting up flyers around every street corner of their neighborhood. But after a few years, they gradually accepted that Sammy was gone.
Seven years later, they got a call that they never expected in a million years: it was from an animal rescue shelter, telling them that they had found Sammy.
The poor dog was in an awful state. He had open wounds and infections all over his body, and his spirit was utterly drained.
Rescuers found out that Sammy was saved by his tiny microchip, which had been put in years before.
Below, we share beautiful photos from a series shot by Kelly Pilgrim-Byrne, showing Sammy in his life today.
We also keep praying for the return of all the lost and missing pets out there, and hope that they will one day be reunited with their owners.
Scroll further to read about Sammy's astonishing story, and let us know your own thoughts about protecting pets in the comments below!
Warning: This article contains brief photo evidence of animal neglect, which some readers might find disturbing.
[H/T: Bored Panda]
Around 10 years ago, Sammy, a 6-month-old border collie puppy, was playing happily in the front yard of his home in Australia.
But something mysterious and shocking happened that fateful day.
No one knew what happened, or how it happened — but Sammy suddenly disappeared. It was like he vanished out of thin air.
His owners, Nikki and Simon, were worried sick. Sammy had left without a trace.
They searched all over for him. Unfortunately, Facebook and other forms of social media didn’t really exist back then, so there were few ways to expedite the search for Sammy.
After some time, they slowly accepted that Sammy was really gone.
However, they received a most astonishing call one day, seven years later.
It was from WISH Animal Rescue, telling them that Sammy had been found!
Unfortunately, however, he was undergoing treatment at Foothills Animal Hospital for serious injuries.
Rescuers found Sammy in a devastating state: his skin was covered in open, infected wounds and flea infestations, and was embedded with stinging grass seeds.
His eyes were completely sunken, and his spirit was gone and wasted.
Sammy had undoubtedly suffered at the hands of malicious humans.
However, the staff at WISH did discover the vital device that led to Sammy’s rescue: a single tiny microchip.
Dog microchipping is a very simple procedure.
The vet will inject a microchip about the size of a grain of rice beneath the surface of the pup’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades.
The process is similar to that of a routine vaccination shot, and takes merely seconds to complete.
Fast-forward three or so years, and life is almost back to normal.
Today, Sammy is deaf. He also limps quite a bit — but considering the traumatic ordeal he must have gone through, he has remained the same cheerful, happy-go-lucky pup deep down inside.
Kelly Pilgrim-Byrne, a photographer based in Perth, Australia, helped document Sammy’s life today in a beautiful photo series.
“There was a gentle wisdom that washed over us from Sam during his photo shoot with us at CY O’Connor Dog Beach,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“And even with the neglect he suffered at the hands of humans, he didn’t hesitate trotting over to us the second we got out of the car, bum and tail wagging, asking for a pat.”
Sammy also gets on incredibly well with Billie, a 9-year-old border collie that the family adopted a few years after Sammy had gone missing.
“Where Sam was and what happened to him in those seven years, nobody will ever know for sure,” writes Kelly.
“But I do know that WISH Animal Rescue and Foothills Animal Hospital saved his life that day so that his original family could heal his soul.”
Sammy was finally home.
And thanks to one teeny little microchip, he was found, and brought back to safety.
Please SHARE Sammy’s heartwrenching rescue story with everyone out there!
