A Texas family who lost their dog three years ago were overjoyed when they received a call telling them that she had been found—how she ended up in Indiana, over 1,000 miles away, remains a mystery.
Sugar Land mom 28-year-old Katrina Skelton, along with her husband, Mark, adopted fur baby Daisy before their first child was even born. They had rescued Daisy from a local animal shelter when she was a 12-week-old puppy, Katrina said.
“For the first year of us having Daisy, it was just me, her, and my husband,” Katrina told The Epoch Times. “She was our first baby. We had her for four years before she went missing.”
The dog disappeared in February 2019. “Our back fence gate got left open, and she escaped with our other dog while we were all playing in the backyard,” the mom said. “We found our other dog a few hours later, but Daisy was nowhere around.”
Daisy with Katrina’s son Jonah in 2017. (Courtesy of Katrina Skelton)
They had no leads as to where she’d gone. The family posted pictures of her on Facebook groups and used website PawBoost to get the word out. They posted signs all around their area and checked local shelters for weeks and months after Daisy vanished.
“We would drive around the area calling her name the first few days and anytime someone contacted us thinking they had seen her,” Katrina said.
They checked online almost every day to see if her microchip had been scanned.
“I don’t think we ever really gave up looking,” Katrina said. “She was always on our minds. My older son Jackson would even talk about her randomly.”
(Left) Daisy when she first joined the family; (Right) Daisy with young baby Jackson. (Courtesy of Katrina Skelton)
Years passed. Until on Jan. 4, Mark got a call from one Tiffany Clay, from Marion, Indiana, who had found Daisy.
“Daisy walked into their backyard, and Tiffany took her to the vet to scan for a microchip,” said Katrina. They received an email from the chip company as well, reporting the find.
Somehow, Daisy traveled 1,200 miles from her Sugar Land home all the way to the northern Indiana city.
Katrina said she was “shocked and excited” and “couldn’t believe it.” Almost immediately, they set out on a 17-hour marathon road trip—one that taught Katrina a few things about life, as she later posted on her Facebook page.
Among these, she noted: “I truly hate the cold;” “Daisy is amazing on long drives;” “Mark is my favorite copilot;” “Driving doesn’t totally suck;” “Texas is my favorite country;” and last but not least, “Kind people still exist.”
Daisy after reuniting with her Texas family. (Courtesy of Katrina Skelton)
Upon reuniting with Daisy, though it took a moment to sink in, she soon recognized her family.
“My husband, Mark, took his hat off, and it was like a lightbulb went off,” Katrina said. “Daisy started barking excitedly and snuggling into our arms!”
Although Daisy seemed very healthy, Katrina added, like she had been fed and cared for, they nevertheless took her to the vet after returning to Texas; finding out that she had heartworms, they started her on a treatment regime.
All in all, Katrina said “she’s doing well at home” but they “have to keep her activity level low to make sure she gets lots of rest.” Their old pastime of walking in the dog park is on hold until Daisy is all rested up.
(Left) Daisy back at home; (Right) Daisy with Jonah and Jackson in 2022. (Courtesy of Katrina Skelton)
For now, Katrina added, “We are just enjoying having her back home” and are “just loving on her and spending as much time with her as we can.”
Today, the boys are much bigger than three years ago, when Daisy made her departure. But she’s making up for lost time. Katrina said, “She’s back to following the boys around like they’re her babies. It’s like they never missed a day together.”