"My dog is kind of the only family I have": The heartfelt tale of a dog who, after enduring a difficult past, proves his unwavering loyalty to his owner by finding his way back to their apartment after a scary midnight disappearance

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Aug 19, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Dogs truly are like toddlers when it comes down to it, well some of them anyway. You need to feed them, you need to walk them, you need to check their behavior, and you need to keep your head on a swivel in case they get a sudden wave of independence and make a run for the big wide world. Which is certainly the case of this story's canine child who saw an opportunity to go out into the world (perhaps in search of scrumptious hot dogs to monch) and took it with all four paws.

Of course for the pawrent this was a heartbreaking and terrifying ordeal. But it seems that once the pupper had had enough of the big bad world, he made his way home to return to the comforts he so dearly enjoys. So what's the moral of the story? Maybe that we need to allow for our puppers, much like our toddlers, to have a little independence in somewhat controlled conditions to scratch their independent itch…?
 

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    My dog is kind of the only family I have, after my mum passed away and my dad abandoned us.
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    It wasn't easy at all back then my dad would constantly use him to blackmail me, lock him in when I wasn't at home, once, he sent him away
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    when I wasn't around. and I was unable to travel or do my semester abroad like my friends did. But my mum loved
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    him, and he was my only family. He had already lost my mum, so I wasn't going to send him away to an unknown and strange place.
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  • Wow, this truly decimates the heart. The story of a young child who seeks love but gets none in return, and whose only connection to love is used to express their father’s self-disdain. At least the doggo and the child had each other, whatever little that was.

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    Surviving on part time jobs and still in school I would make sure he eats enough, goes to the vet, and so on.
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    Things have gotten better - I now live alone with my brother and graduated with a full time job, able to live comfortably.
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    But life hasn't been so easy in other aspects and most of the time it was just me and him. I thought I was taking care
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    of him and making sure he is safe and sound living with me - but I think I was the one who needed him.
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    That day I went home and the door was left ajar (I think the lock has spoilt) and my dog was not around. My phone was
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    dead, it was 12AM, so damn scared I ran down the stairs level by level to try to search for him. (I'm staying in a high rise flat)
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  • Oh, goodness that is pretty much the last thing that anyone of us would want to see when coming home after a long day. It is terrifying enough just to see your door ajar, leaving all your precious things exposed. But to know that open door also means that your dog is gone too is simply heartbreaking.

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    A group of strangers hanging around the park below my apartment asked if I was looking for my dog - they have seen him ran towards the other direction just 5 mins ago.
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    And there I was spending almost an hour in the middle of the night running around the whole neighbour hood shouting for my dog - what if someone took him away?
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    What if he got knocked down by a car? What if I neber see him again? I think that was one of the most traumatizing thing I've went through in awhile.
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    Later, I decided to go back home and find the other phone so I can call for help - after all the area was big and I wasn't going to take the risk to let my dog spend the night alone outside.
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    I climbed the stairs up (my level wasn't exactly near the ground) - but. once I reached my floor and there he was running to me. Crying. ✔
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    So I guess he took a little adventure on his own and then somehow know enough to climb the stairs and go back home on his own.
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    I don't know. I guess I'm just very proud of him for being able to come back home. And this post
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    sounds a bit emotional because that moment really made me experience how (bad) life would be if he is not - around which I also fear is soon since he is old.
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    But happy to have him back home safe and sound. And isn't he a genius dog!!! And thank you to the kind strangers that night who helped me find my dog.
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loyalty scary dogs midnight heartfelt only disappear dog owner reddit story difficult family dog story
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