Nicole Grimes was 10-years old when her grandmother gave her a puppy as a surprise. She instantly fell in love with her new pet and named her Chloe Bear.
Photo Credit: The Dodo
For the next 4 years, Nicole and Chloe were inseparable. “She was such a sweet dog. She would lick your face forever if you didn’t stop her,” Nicole later told The Dodo.
But shortly after Nicole turned 14, her father took Chloe to the Washington Area Humane Society. His new job required a home office without the noise or distractions a dog might raise.
Nicole was heartbroken and thought often about her beloved Chloe throughout her teen and early adult years. She even called the Humane Society on her own, but couldn’t get any updates.
Then, recently, Nicole saw a friend’s Facebook post about a senior dog that needed a home. Nicole was married by now with a 4-month old daughter. Something told her to reach out.
“It looked similar to my puppy when I was little,” she told the local Observer-Reporter. “So, on a whim, I said, ‘I’ll take her.’”
Photo Credit: The Dodo
The dog was even already named Chloe. When the two met, Chloe ran to her and started licking her face. A wave of familiarity overcame Nicole as her new pet displayed all the characteristics of her childhood pup.
Photo Credit: The Dodo
Then something remarkable happened that confirmed Nicole’s hunch. During a visit to the vet, the tech read Chloe’s chip number. The number matched the chip number of Nicole’s old pet, Chloe. Chloe was back in Nicole’s arms.
Though Nicole was devastated when her dad gave Chloe away, she later learned that Chloe had had a very nice home with an older couple that had passed, before briefly living with another family that couldn’t keep her.
None of that matters now to Nicole and Chloe.
“She’s made herself right at home,” Nicole said. “Chloe is happy. I think she knows now that she’ll be with me forever.”
