Vanessa Calvery of Rural Hall found "Bookie" in the pouring rain on Tuesday when he was standing in the middle of the road near her house. He had no collar. Bookie had disappeared Monday when his owner's truck was stolen.
Calvery, who has two Chihuahua's of her own, took the dog to a local veterinarian, who remembered seeing the dog's picture in a local newspaper.
Sixty-seven-year-old John Jenkins of Walkertown was offering a $500 reward for his dog's return. "He pulled up in a car and another truck pulled up and there were three or four of his relatives or son's and himself and by that time I gave them all a hug and introduced myself and said I had the pleasure of taking care of your dog and they are going to bring him out to you now and when one of the attendants brought Bookie out and when he saw his dad he literally tried to leap out of her arms into Mr. Jenkins arms . We were all sobbing. It was a very sloppy mess is what it was. It was very heartfelt."
Calvery said she knows what it's like to loose a beloved pet. Her dog was lost for several hours in downtown Chapel Hill a few years ago.
For Jenkins, Bookie is more than a companion. The dog has been with him through hard times. Two years ago, his wife died and Jenkins was diagnosed with throat and esophageal cancer.
A veterinarian at the Animal Care Clinic in Rural Hall implanted a microchip under Bookie's skin for free, so that if he went missing again, he'd be easy to find.
Calvery said she turned down Jenkin's reward for the dog. She said she's touched by the compassion from everyone involved in the dog's safe return.
