Dog found in Orlando reunited with family 7 years after it ran away from Texas home

A family in Texas has finally been reunited with their dog that ran away seven years ago. The dog, Jazzy, was found abandoned in a hotel room in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month, Orange County Animal Services said on Facebook.

The animal rescue said that she had arthritis and could barely walk when she was found. Staff then discovered that she microchipped, the rescue said, which allowed them to track down Jazzy's former owners in Texas.

The family told the rescue that Jazzy, now 12, was 5 years old when she ran away because she had been scared by fireworks.

"They searched for her for a long time, and even after seven years, they never gave up hope," the rescue wrote.

After being contacted by the shelter, Jazzy's owner, Kerry, hopped on a plane from Texas to Florida, and the duo was reunited on Saturday, Orange County Animal Services said. "It was a tearful reunion, and it was incredible to watch Jazzy come to life at her owner's voice," the shelter wrote.

"She licked his hand again and again and inched her body as close as she could to him," the rescue said. "After all those years, her heart still remembered, and was finally whole."