Phoenix Man Reunited With His Beloved Dog After Losing Him Eight Years Ago in Oklahoma City

While moving from Massachusetts to Arizona in 2017, Paul Guilbeault and his father George somehow lost track of their beloved mini-pinscher Damian somewhere in Oklahoma City. Since that time, however, a heartbroken Guilbeault has been posting signs and queries on social media to try to find his little pup.

It was devastating — that dog got me through a lot of emotional things, family issues and whatnot, just being there for me as a companion,” he said. “I was his everything, as he was mine, and losing him was really, really tough.

It seemed hopeless, however when Guilbeault was driving to California to help provide victims of the LA fires with clothing, his phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but when he saw the preview message on his watch, a kind woman named Donna Bentley had found Damian roaming across a busy road where she almost hit him. She and her brother brought him to the vet where he was scanned for a chip. That’s when Damian was positively identified. Once notified, Guilbeault and his husband changed course and drove straight to OKC where the two were reunited.

After Guilbeault and his husband heard the news, they immediately turned their car around and drove 14 hours to Oklahoma, arriving at about 6 a.m. the next morning. When Guilbeault saw Damian again, he was visibly older and scruffier than he had been eight years earlier, but he was undeniably his dog, wagging his tail upon reuniting with his owner. Guilbeault said he has no idea where Damian spent the previous eight years.

After eight years on the street, Damian certainly had some health issues, so a GoFundMe page was created to raise money to help with medical expenses. Despite all that, Damian is finally home to stay.

Man Reunites With Dog Eight Years
Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.