Bulldog Returned to Owners After Stolen in Texas

Cheryl Thompson, supervisor at Manatee County Animal Services, ended the week on a high after witnessing a rare family reunion that left her trembling with joy.

Thompson spent most of the week trying to arrange the reunion — never guessing that she would get to be a part of it — after Animal Services officer Rick Browning found an English Bulldog confined. Browning who carries a microchip scanner in his vehicle discovered that the dog belonged to a family in Texas.

Browning brought the bull dog into Animal Services and Thompson contacted the microchip company. She discovered that the family had reported the dog, Rocky, stolen five months ago.

She then called the dog's owner in Texas, Julian Lehmar, to let him know that Animal Services in Florida had his Rocky and would try to make arrangements to get him back to Texas.

Thompson and Lehmar talked several times, largely because Lehmar was anxious to get Rocky home. He had gotten Rocky, now 5, as a puppy.

Lehmar wanted to make sure that Rocky hadn't been mistreated. "Is he skinny?" Lehmar asked Thompson. She laughed at the question. Rocky is a butterball.

It turns out the man who had Rocky had gotten him from his brother, who had bought Rocky for $300 from a flea market in Texas.

Thompson worked much of the week with rescue groups to get transportation and called Lehmar Thursday to say that she had volunteers who could get Rocky to Louisiana. But Lehmar said he and his parents had rented a car and were on their way from Brownsville, Tex., to pick him up. They couldn't stand it any longer.

Lehmar and his parents arrived at the downtown adoption center Friday morning. When Cheryl heard they had arrived, she grabbed a camera and put Rocky on a leash. She didn't realize until that moment how nervous and excited she was. She was actually glad the family had decided to drive all night because it allowed her to watch the reunion. And Rocky made it all worthwhile.

As soon as they rounded the corner and Rocky saw his family, Thompson knew they were definitely Rocky's people. The bulldog was so excited he couldn't decide who to go to first and ran from person to person.

Thompson stood back and watched as tears welled up. Rocky was so excited and his family was happy. She wasn't the only one who shed a few tears. Rocky's family was emotional as well.

Rocky got up as high as he could on Lehman, and the young man said "speak" Rocky barked. And then Thompson was treated to an entire repertoire of tricks. Rocky remembered them all.