‘Tears of joy.’ Stolen dog reunites with owner after nearly 4 years apart

Since July 18, 2022, Shelton has gone above and beyond to find his beloved Boston Terrier.

After his dog, Baeya, was stolen from his front porch on the fateful summer day, Shelton did everything he could, he said. He posted flyers around his neighborhood. He even started a business with Baeya’s face as the logo, hoping someone would recognize her.

“I left from my porch and I went to my car to get something or put something in my car,” Shelton recalled the moment the dog was taken. “I went to the car for like maybe two, three minutes. And when I came back, she was gone.”

Shelton has also sought help from friends and family so they could contact him when they spot Baeya.

“Usually people would call and tell me that they think they saw my dog or found my dog. They showed me a photo. It wasn’t my dog. I’ll go to the person’s house. It wasn’t my dog,” the owner recalled.

Fast forward to March 2026, when Shelton’s friend saw an Instagram post from Wags and Walks, an animal rescue group, she immediately alerted him.

“I was crying,” Shelton described his emotions after finally reuniting with his dog on Monday.

No one really knows what happened to the dog while she was taken from her owner for nearly four years, but officials from Wags and Walks said they rescued the Boston Terrier from a shelter last week after she was found as a stray.

“The reunion was so special,” Erica from Wags and Walks said. “We rescue dogs from the shelters, and this is a first for us. Seeing (Shelton) see Baeya and just instant tears.”