Woman Working At Grocery Store Looks Up And Sees Missing Dog In Front Of Her Register

Dec 29, 2020 by apost team

When June Rountree, from Dothan, Alabama, lost her 4-year-old rescue dog Abby on November 8, she feared she would never see her again. While she and her husband tried for weeks to find her, they began to lose hope that they would ever be able to bring her back. But then, something some are calling a miracle happened; 20 days after she wandered off from home, Abby found her way back to Rountree – or at least, back to her workplace; Walmart. 

According to The Washington Post, Rountree lost her precious mixed-breed pup when the canine cut loose from her leash and collar. With Abby gone from their yard by the time the Rountrees noticed what had happened, the couple searched tirelessly for their canine. They checked regularly at their local shelter and reglarly asked members of their community if they had spotted their dear dog. 

Then on November 28, just as Rountree was about to give up, she went into work for her regular shift at Walmart in Dothan, Alabama, where she has worked for the last ten years. She was busy doing her job at register number six when she heard quite a commotion, with co-workers and shoppers saying a dog had wandered into the store. It had stopped by the ice machine, and onlookers tried desperately to catch her but had no luck as the pup was too fast for them. 

Rountree's colleague, Robinette, explained in a Facebook post that later went viral that the black dog then ran to the cashiers. "I'm a huge animal lover, so I just followed her, and she ran up to register No. 6," she told The Washington Post.

At first, Rountree couldn't believe that the dog was her Abby, but realized she was wrong once she called her name and the rescue came running for her. 

"I said, 'It can't be'. I was like, 'What in the world is happening?' I called her name and she came to me," Rountree continued. "I bent over and hugged her. I completely lost it then. I couldn't speak. I was in complete shock and just couldn't believe it."

"She looked up with tears streaming down her face and said: 'This is Abby. She's been missing for three weeks,' I was just floored," Robinette added.

"I can't express the feeling," Rountree said. "All these people were there around the dog and I couldn't even talk to them." 

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We can only imagine the joy Rountree must have felt to be reunited with her special pooch after so long, and also the disbelief that her very clever (or very lucky!) pup managed to find her mom at her place of work. The reunion went viral after Robinette shared the story with some photos on Facebook.

She captioned the post:

"Ok y'all so I work at Walmart at the service desk and today the most amazing thing happened! I looked up and seen this black dog go running by she was looking at everyone like she was looking for someone I first thought she was dumped and she was looking for her people! Well she was!! She ran right up too Mrs June one of the cashiers she was so happy and started crying saying she had been missing for 3 weeks!! Her name is Abby! I tell you what Abby is one smart girl she came to her mommies work to find her!! I'm so glad she found you Mrs June!! Such a wonderful story I just had to share with everyone."

After the post became an internet hit, she updated the caption writing: "Update! Due to all the shares and attention (that I never expected), my story was on the front page of our local newspaper the Dothan eagle, and yesterday I was contacted by the Washington post!! They want to put my story about Mrs. June and Abby in the paper! It's become national news! Thank you for all the shares and future shares! I'm truly humbled."

This is exactly the kind of story the world needs right now, so we're not surprised this tale of good news has been read by so many.

Rountree is still curious to know where Abby was for those three weeks. "She wasn't skin and bones," Rountree said. "I want to thank whoever she came upon that gave her something to eat." The Rountrees had always expected Abby to turn up at their house, so when they pictured their reunion they didn't even consider other places an option. "Never in a million years did I think she would show up at Walmart. How she knew I worked there, I do not know," she exclaimed.

According to Rountree, the only time Abby was ever close to the Walmart store she worked at was when she would take Abby for a walk in the woods behind or in the store's parking lot. "We kid at work that she must have known the weather was going to turn and wanted to find her way back so she could have her warm bed," Rountree said, finally able to joke about her dog's adventures after so much stress and sadness. "It really is just unbelievable," she said. "It's like a dream. You can't make this stuff up."

Clive Wynne, director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, said it is possible the dog knew she had been to the Walmart before. He told The Washington Post, "I suspect that the dog was roaming around somewhere at random until it stumbled upon a familiar location. I think it is perfectly plausible and very likely that this dog was distressed and upset and trying to find home."

"A dog's navigation isn't perfect, but it does recognize certain important, large landmarks," he continued. So it could be that Abby was a very good dog and knew she had a chance of finding her owner if she got to the Walmart, which was 1.5 miles from where the Rountrees live.

He added: "Dogs wander off in the heat of the moment—whether they spot a squirrel or food. But they have a tremendous connection and powerful emotional bond with their people."

The Rountrees adopted Abby when she was just a year old, from a rescue center. When asked to describe her qualities, Rountree said without hesitation, she is a "very loving dog, but not one that wants to lick and kiss all over your face. She is more laid back, but she wants to be with you." And she certainly wanted to be back home with her loving family, and we are glad she had the happy ending she deserved!

What do you think about this heart-warming tale? Have your pets ever made it back home after being away? Let us know in the comments and share this with anyone who needs a smile today.