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SALT LAKE CITY — A stolen dog was reunited with his owner after being found with some unexpected but welcomed help.
"I'm on top of the world," said Dee Thorell, whose dog went missing with her car last weekend.
The pair were reunited after Reo the Shih Tzu was found Saturday morning at a homeless camp in Salt Lake County. Hundreds helped to search for the Shih Tzu after Dee Thorell's car was stolen with Reo inside last Sunday.
"The last six days have been a lot of trauma," said Thorell.
Thorell told KSL-TV after days of searching, she woke up Saturday morning with a sense of optimism and felt compelled to go back to the crash site with her car was found.
"As we were leaving, I noticed a tent," she said, adding that she felt like walking to the tent and seeing if anyone was inside. "I met the gentleman, and I handed him a flyer, and he said, 'I just saw that dog a couple of days ago.'"
That man led Thorell and her family to a homeless camp where Reo had supposedly been for almost one week.
"(Reo's) tail was just wagging as fast as it could," she said. "It was a grand reunion, and so so glad he's home."
Thorell said she's grateful for the communities efforts and prayers to help find Reo.
The man who helped lead her to Reo was rewarded $2,500. Thorell said she feels even better knowing the money is going to someone who needs it.
