Austin Animal Center (AAC) staff were astounded when they received a Facebook message from someone stating they saw their dog that they thought was dead.

“We have a Spanish-language Facebook page called Mascotas de Austin that provides information on how to be a responsible pet owner and the free programs provided by City of Austin Animal Services,” said Austin Animal Center public health educator Luis Herrera. Herrera posted about adoptable dogs at the shelter that was then shared to the Cubanos de Austin Facebook group, where friends of the owner spotted the unique-looking pitbull mix.

The shelter had named the dog Juicee and she had been brought in as a stray in June 2022. “Juicee was unsure of strangers while she was in the shelter, but the second she saw her family, she was all tail wags and smiles,” said Herrera.

The dog’s original name was Kardashian, and her owner had been told that she had passed away. “I never thought to see her again,” said her owner Dellys. Dellys, her partner, and her toddler now live in Miami but they dropped everything to drive the 20 hours to Austin to pick up Kardashian.

“A simple share can be part of a miracle,” Herrera said. “Today we had an amazing example of the importance of social media for Spanish speakers and their pets.”

Footage of the reunion can be seen on Austin Animal Center’s Facebook and Instagram.