Dog Thought to Be Killed by Mountain Lion Appears 8 Years Later

Paul Guilbeault never gave up hope after his dog, Damian, went missing in 2017.

However, he never imagined that a call from an unknown number in January 2025 would help him reunite with his four-legged buddy.

Guilbeault said ‘it [felt] like a big dream.’

Eight years ago, Guilbeault was at a pit stop in Oklahoma while moving from Massachusetts to Arizona, when Damian broke free from his leash and ran away.

Guilbeault, who was traveling with his father and a friend, looked for Damian throughout the night, only stopping after they came across a mountain lion.

They eventually stayed in the area for another week, hoping to find the dog but the search was ultimately unsuccessful.

In the following years, Guilbeault continued to put up missing posters for Damian, hoping someone out there would find him.

The search dwindled as time went on. Eventually, it came to a point where seeing Damian’s poster became upsetting, so he stopped sharing it as often.

He was convinced that Damian probably ran into the mountain lion they saw. The thought was heartbreaking as “(Damian) had gotten (him) through a lot of emotional things’ in addition to just ‘being there for (him) as a companion.”

damian 2 — Damian was able to reunite with his owner thanks to his microchip

While Guilbeault and his companion were making their way to California to donate supplies to wildfire victims, he received a call from an unknown number.

He ignored the call but his phone eventually rang again.

When he ignored the second call, he received a text message from the mysterious number, which popped up on his Apple Watch.

On the screen, he saw a preview that said ‘Your dog, Damian has been found’.

Guilbeault was in disbelief, but after calling the unknown number back, the information confirmed as true.

The calls were coming from the American Kennel Club, through which Damian was microchipped, to inform him that his beloved canine friend had been found in Oklahoma City on Dec. 31, 2024.

guilbeault with damian — Guilbeault and Damian have been making up for lost time since reuniting

“Of course, I pulled over, freaking out and emotional. I’m questioning, is this even real? Am I getting scammed? What’s about to happen?” Guilbeault said.

The caller, Donna Bentley, in Oklahoma City, told Guilbeault that she had almost run over Damian but was able to stop in time. She subsequently picked him up and brought him to stay with her brother, Rick Chambers, who took care of him for two weeks until they were able to bring him to the vet.

When the vet scanned Damian for a microchip, it showed that he belonged to Guilbeault.

Upon hearing the news, Guilbeault immediately turned the car around, driving 14 hours to Oklahoma. They arrived at the city at approximately 6 a.m. the following day.

Damian was visibly older and scruffier compared to when he saw him last time eight years ago, but they immediately recognized each other, with Damian wagging his tail nonstop.

No one knows what happened to Damian during those eight years he went missing.

However, Guilbeault said he is the same happy dog that he remembered from all those years ago.

Since their reunion, the pair has been making up for lost time, going for walks at the park every day. However, Damian’s favorite thing to do is sitting in his owner’s lap.

Guilbeault is grateful for having microchipped Damian, which led to their reunion and encourages all pet owners to do the same.

☆☆☆☆☆