Girl Can’t Stop Crying When She Sees The Dog She Thought She’d Lost Forever

So many happy tears ❤️️

CORRECTION: A previous version of this piece had cited Rebecca Norris DiNapoli as the lead rescuer, rather than a witness at the reunion.

Fergus and his owners were at a stoplight Saturday evening when a car rear-ended them and changed their lives.

A car barreled into them going 50 miles per hour and the force of the crash threw Fergus, a 200-pound Irish wolfhound, from the backseat. Stunned, the dog got up and started limping away.

“Within seconds my dad had already hopped out of the car and was trying to find him, but he was just gone,” Meredith McKay Luckett, Fergus’ sister, told The Dodo. “As you can imagine, he was scared out of his mind, so he just bolted.”

Luckett and her family immediately alerted the community about Fergus’ disappearance and, within minutes, hundreds of people from all over Nashville came together to help locate the large dog.

“Within 30 minutes of the accident happening, people were trolling the whole area trying to help us find Fergus,” Luckett said. “We had rescues involved with feeding stations set up and we were doing everything we could to follow leads.”

The days stretched on without a sign of Fergus, but the community refused to give up hope. “At any given moment, within two miles of the accident site, cars were driving with their flashers on and going slow,” Luckett added. “It was incredible.”

Then, on Wednesday morning, just as hope was dwindling, Luckett received a call. “I was still asleep when my phone started buzzing and they said, ‘We have your dog,’” Luckett said.

Luckett was flooded with relief knowing that her family’s loving pup was finally safe. “He’s definitely a gentle giant,” Luckett said. “He’s a little bit of a diva and loves to be inside, which is one of the reasons we were so afraid of him being outside. Definitely a pampered pet.”

By the time Luckett arrived at the house, only a half-mile from the accident site, Fergus’ mom was already there.

Luckett rushed over to greet her mom and broke down in tears when she finally saw Fergus again. Fergus joined in, snuggling into her shoulder and howling happily in return.

“Clearly, it was a pretty emotional reunion,” Luckett said.

You can watch the adorable video here:

Fergus was taken to the vet, where he received treatment for the cuts he received in the crash. “It’s going to be a long road for him,” Luckett said. “Right now, we just are really focused on getting him healed up.”

But, for now, he’s enjoying resting at home with his family, who couldn’t be more grateful to have him back.

“I thought he was spoiled before all this happened, but now he is just being treated like a king,” Luckett added. “People have been asking to send him gifts, and he’s gotten a few new toys out of this and some treats. He’s just living the dream — and we’re just making sure he’s comfortable.”

Luckett asks that if you want to help Fergus, to please donate to your local animal rescue on his behalf.