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Missing Dog Found On Long Island A Year And A Half After Escaping In Florida

FREEPORT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Florida man is looking forward to reuniting with his beloved best friend.

As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, the man's dog was found this week on Long Island, a year and a half after the canine escaped from her backyard in Florida and disappeared.

The relieved pet owner and the shelter workers who found the dog, Relay, were speaking Monday evening.

Relay, a 4-year-old Shepherd-Russell mix, was supposed to be taking a break from her walk inside the Bobbi and the Strays animal shelter in Freeport when CBS2 visited. But Relay is always ready to bolt.

"Found out this morning when taking a walk, she likes to lunge at cars," said Susanne Marin of the shelter.

Shelter workers said that relentless energy is what led Relay to escape from the backyard of Rick Moneck's West Palm Beach, Florida home a year and a half ago.

"When I'm driving around -- and I'm always driving around – I was sure I was going to see her one time, in the street," Moneck said.

Despite their never giving up on seeing Relay again, Moneck's son at first did not believe it when shelter managers called to say Relay had been found on a Long Island street.

"He couldn't believe it," Moneck said. He said, 'Dad, there's somebody who thinks they found Relay.'"

Shelter workers quickly saw that Relay had an embedded microchip. By checking the national registry, they quickly identified Moneck as Relay's owner.

Of course, the big question is where Relay had been for the past year and a half. Also unknown is who picked her up and, and how they got her to Long Island. And did Relay escape perhaps a second time from whoever had her?

"She's had some journey, and if she could, I'm sure she'd have some great stories to tell," Marin said.

The energetic dog is in great physical shape and appears well cared for. Meanwhile, shelter managers plan to deliver Relay back home to Florida personally on Friday.

"It will be a good reunion," Moneck said.

This time, Moneck plans a sturdier fence to keep in Relay's wandering ambitions that led her on a journey of thousands of miles.

Moneck's West Palm Beach home had tree damage and flooding from Hurricane Irma. He said this just shows how lucky Relay is to have escaped dealing with the big storm.

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