In 2018, a burglary shattered Gabrielle Hartley’s home in Tampa—and with it, the disappearance of her beloved one-year-old husky, Luca. Seven years passed with no trace. Then, in a moment that seemed orchestrated by fate, a patrol officer found Luca wandering, hopeless and alone—and everything changed.
The Loss and the Search
Luca was just a pup when he vanished after the break-in. Hartley filed a police report, kept Luca’s microchip active via PetKey, and never stopped hoping for his return. Year after year she renewed the registration, kept his photo alive on social posts—and waited.
The Unexpected Find
Earlier this month, a Tampa police officer found Luca roaming a street. The dog jumped into the officer’s patrol car—an act that led to the vet clinic where his microchip was scanned. The results brought the long-awaited message: “Your dog has been found.”
When Hartley finally reunited with him, she saw a dog in dire shape: malnourished, burdened by a large growth, suffering from a urinary tract infection and a blood infection, with broken teeth and scars likely caused from cage confinement or misuse. Hartley fears Luca might have been used for breeding and then abandoned when his health failed.
The Reunion and Recovery
Despite the physical scars, Luca’s spirit remained. Hartley launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 to treat his many medical issues and give him the peaceful, loving home he deserved. She said her heart “broke” when she first held him, but added, “He deserves the love, comfort, and health he deserves after everything he’s been through.”
Why This Story Resonates
The power of persistence: Hartley never gave up, kept Luca’s microchip active, and eventually saw the payoff.
Rescue + education: Luca’s condition shows how dogs stolen or lost can suffer severe neglect, but also how intervention can turn things around…