Homeward Bound: The Incredible 'Tail' Of A RivCo Pup

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A pitbull that was missing from Coachella for more than a year was reunited with her owner Monday through the power of smart- home technology.

When Trina, a blue and white pitbull, went missing last year, owner Jesus Lopez did what he could to find the pooch, Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said. He circulated flyers, checked local shelters and posted on social media.

An entire year passed, and Lopez lost hope of ever being reunited with Trina.

That is until a friend contacted him about a social media post by a woman showing a dog that looked very similar to Lopez's pup, Welsh said. In the post, the unidentified woman said she snagged a picture of Trina using a doorbell camera, Ring, and immediately posted the image online.

"I knew right away it was her -- I recognized her eyes," Lopez said.

Trina was even still wearing the collar Lopez bought for her before she went missing.

Lopez contacted with the woman and discovered that Trina had been placed at a Riverside County shelter in Thousand Palms over a month ago, Welsh said.

When they were reunited, the dog instantly recognized her owner.

"There are nice people out there," Lopez's girlfriend, Valeria Delgado, said. "There are those that care for others' pets and also take the lost pet to shelters. My advice to people is to never lose hope."

The couple said their big takeway from the yearlong hunt is to not only get your pets microchipped, but also register your current contact information with authorities -- something Lopez had neglected to do.

— By City News Service