It was a tearful reunion for Janin Scharrenberg and Steffen Kagerah with their pet dog Luke, nearly three months after he went missing. In a heart warming video posted by animal activist Shravan Krishnan, the couple can be seen meeting Luke for the first time after their long separation.
While their pet and travel companion greeted them with a series of excited barks, Ms. Scharrenberg was reduced to tears. The video got over 40,000 views on Facebook with many animal lovers sharing it as well.
The globe-trotting couple, who were visiting Chennai in July, were on the Marina when their one- and-a-half-year-old Labrador mix pup was stolen from near their car. The couple desperately searched for him in the city by distributing posters and offering a reward, and even filed a police complaint to help trace Luke.
“We unfortunately had to leave the country and even though the last three months were tough, we kept receiving pictures and updates from people, who were looking for Luke, which is what made it better,” said Ms. Scharrenberg. Vijaya Narayanan, a Chennai-based animal welfare activist, was instrumental in reuniting Luke with the couple.
Persistence pays
She took up the search for the puppy in Chennai, and regularly put out posters and pamphlets, which was what caught the eye of the person who finally spotted Luke a few days ago. “So many people were interested in helping us find Luke; so much so that whenever a black dog was spotted, people would immediately go and check if it was Luke,” Ms. Narayanan said.
The couple flew into the city from Nepal late on Monday night and will be continuing their travels with Luke in a few days.
“He made our travels so much more happier, and truly is the best thing that happened to us,” the couple said.
