Stolen pit bull driven 2,000 miles to be reunited with Montana family just in time for Christmas
BUTTE, MONTANA: A Montana family has been reunited with their lost dog after more than two months after he was found 2,000 miles away across several state lines.
Cassandra Rasmussen and her two young daughters were heartbroken after Zeus, their nine-year-old pit bull, was stolen from their Butte, Montana, home after their "family friend" was allowed to stay with them, according to the Daily Mail.
The friend had robbed the household "blind" and taken several of Rasmussen's items, including her wallet and made her escape. But none of those mattered as much as Zeus. The family was offered a ray of hope when, earlier this month, the authorities announced that they had arrested the person 2,000 miles away in Nitro, West Virginia, and confirmed that Zeus was alive and well.
The pit bull was taken in by the officers and brought to the Kanawha Charleston Humane Association, where staffers were able to trace the dog to Rasmussen thanks to a microchip.
However, it appeared as though he would not be able to join his family back for Christmas because, at 73 pounds, he was deemed too heavy to fly. Luckily, the Many Paws Volunteer Transport stepped in and offered to transport Zeus back home via a marathon cross-country journey that would involve 15 volunteers.
Each of the 15 volunteers took turns to drive the dog the thousands of miles across nine state lines in a trip that took four days to complete. He was reunited with Rasmussen on December 16, just in time for the holidays, and the mom could not be more thankful.
Speaking about the night after they were reunited with Zeus, she told ABC Fox Montana, "I woke up in the morning and both girls had come into my room from their room that night and woke up and Layla was all laid next to Zeus and I was like 'aww this is how it should be.'"
She said that with Zeus' return, her family finally feels complete again and that for Christmas, she fully intends to spoil the dog with some new toys.