A dog that became a social media sensation after being spotted traveling alone on an RTD bus in Denver has been joyously reunited with its owner.
The heartwarming reunion occurred after a concerned passenger noticed a rottweiler mix sitting unaccompanied at the back of the bus on March 22. Acting swiftly, the passenger contacted animal control, leading to the dog’s safe transport to the Riverdale Animal Shelter in Adams County.
Tabatha Gormley, the communication engagement liaison for Riverdale Animal Shelter, expressed optimism about the dog’s future, stating, “She has been a super friendly and happy pup. She loves to jump up and give kisses, so if her owners unfortunately do not come forward, we will not have a problem finding her a happy home.”
Thanks to a microchip, shelter staff identified the dog as Lily, approximately 2 years old. Gormley elaborated on their efforts, explaining, “We do trace those diligently and kind of do some detective work to find out if the number is active, is there an address that’s close by? Is there an email we can contact.”
Despite their best efforts, Lily’s owner remained elusive for ten days. Gormley revealed, “Unfortunately, with Lily, a lot of the information on there was not current, and so we extended her stray hold to do some more work and communicate with Denver — because she was in those two areas — to make sure we’re really covering all our bases.”
However, the persistence paid off. Shortly after CBS News Colorado’s conversation with the animal shelter, Gormley shared heartwarming footage and images capturing Lily’s emotional reunion with her owners.
According to the owners, Lily had escaped alongside another one of their dogs, and they remain baffled as to how she ended up on a bus.
