NEW FOUND DOG: Zoe comes home after being lost almost a year

A dog that escaped her owners backyard near Brigus Junction, Newfoundland, last April, has finally returned home after almost a year missing.

Zoe, the Yellow Labrador mix wandered into a trap set by her search team early Wednesday morning after ten months in the wilderness.

“Last night was a night unlike any other. It will go down in the books as one that will NEVER be forgotten. We are completely overjoyed and appreciative to have our girl Zoe HOME WITH US!!” wrote owner Rebecca Curlew in a post to the Facebook group that was dedicated to retrieving the lost dog.

Escaping last April, Zoe had managed to survive the harsh temperatures of a Newfoundland winter. Naturally, her owners thought she had died, lost in the wilderness until she was caught on video by a nearby homeowner. Zoe was rummaging around when for food in the middle of the night on his property last November.

The sighting prompted a massive search effort for the dog, which remained ongoing until this week. The Facebook group called “Help find Zoe” has now changed its name to “Welcome home, Zoe.” A change that has surely brought joy to its some 10,000 members.

Curlew said it didn’t take long for Zoe to let warm up to owner Peter Vaters, and return home according to CBC.

“After Zoe had sniffed Peter’s hand and had calmed down slightly, Peter slowly entered the cage.… He was able to coax her as he gradually got nearer and nearer,” Curlew wrote.

“After speaking with a vet, we felt it to be best to bring her home for the time being.… She did not have any major open wounds or injuries [and] the vet felt it would be best to give her time to calm down and adjust.”

“We have no idea what the next few days will bring, but rest assured that we will be doing absolutely anything that we can to readjust her to our home. This has been a long time coming,” Curlew wrote.