When Jackson the Miniature Australian Shepherd was stolen four months ago, Emilie Talermo didn’t know what to do. Jackson meant the world to her, and every day without him just felt empty. So, she went to extreme measures to help bring him home.
Talermo made a website where she offered a $7,000 reward, flew a banner over the city, created the dog a Tinder account, and even raised $11,000 through GoFundMe. She was determined to try anything and everything to bring him home safely. As it turns out, all her efforts were worth it.
Jackson was Found!
The 6-year-old dog was found nearly 370 miles away from where Talermo lives in San Francisco. Someone had dropped him off at an animal shelter in Palmdale, where he was scanned for a microchip. They soon discovered that his microchip was connected to Talermo’s phone number.
When Talermo received the call that Jackson was finally found, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She asked them to send her photos of him just to be sure. Sure enough, it was Jackson! After four long months, he was finally found.
“As soon as I saw [the pictures], I burst into tears. It was him!” Talermo said.
Unfortunately, Talermo’s car had broken down not long before she received the call, so she couldn’t pick Jackson up herself. Thankfully, the San Francisco Police Department detective who was assigned to her case offered to go get Jackson for her. Some friends had already picked him up from the shelter, so now it was time to bring him home.
A Beautiful Reunion
At 4 a.m., Jackson was finally home! On her Instagram story, Talermo shared an adorable video of the moment the pup saw her again. As he gets out of his carrier, he leaps into her arms, unable to control his excitement. He barks over and over again and licks her all over to show her how happy he is.
As much as Jackson missed Talermo, he still seems well-cared for. Whoever ended up caring for him must’ve given him plenty of food, because he returned a bit chunkier than usual. Luckily, he doesn’t seem traumatized from the experience, and he has happily readjusted to his life at home.
“He slept great, he was snoring. He has been basking in the sun in our backyard,” Talermo said. “I didn’t sleep at all, I was with my eyes closed smiling. I’m just so happy to have him back in my life.”
The Man Responsible
The following afternoon, the police department announced that they had made an arrest for Jackson’s theft. Law enforcement had been searching for the person responsible for months. Luckily, community members in Los Angeles County were able to lead them to the suspect based on where Jackson was spotted before his return.
The thief was a 27-year-old man named Nicholas Bravo. He was already in custody at the San Joaquin County Jail for an unrelated reason, and now he was arrested for felony grand theft too. He will appear before the San Francisco Superior Court this summer.
Luckily, Jackson’s return happened at the perfect time. Talermo is about to relocate to Wyoming, and she’s overjoyed to have Jackson with her for that journey. Once it’s safe to travel long-distance again, she said she plans to move to Portugal.
Jackson missed a lot of important events in the past 4 months, including his 6th birthday. However, Talermo will not waste any time worrying about all the moments they missed. Instead, she’ll make sure Jackson gets plenty of new memories that will last them a lifetime.
Jackson, the missing miniature Australian Shepherd was reunited with his owner at 4 o’clock this morning. pic.twitter.com/lEfnyjq8m3
— Lyanne Melendez (@LyanneMelendez) April 21, 2020
H/T: sfgate.com
Featured Image: @emilie.talermo/Instagram
Toledo, United States.
