Missing dog, owner reunited after 12 years apart

RIO VISTA, Calif. - A video shows a missing dog and her owner being reunited after spending 12 years apart.

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office in California said earlier this month, Animal Services Officer Brandon Levin responded to a call about a stray dog who was dropped off on a rural piece of land outside Stockton.

The caller reported that the dog appeared old and unwell. 

Authorities said Levin looked over the dog for a tracking chip and found out that the dog, named Zoey, was reported missing from Lafayette, California, in 2010. 

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Authorities added that Zoey had been missing for so long, the microchip company listed her as "deceased" in their records. 

Fortunately, the owners still have the same phone number.

Zoey was reunited with her owner, Melissa, in Rio Vista.  The sheriff's office posted the video of the reunion on its Facebook page. 

"We got her at the pound when she was six months old with her twin sister ... they were with us for about six months and then we went to the store for about 20 minutes and came back and she was missing," Melissa said.

"I definitely didn't expect this to ever happen," she said. 

This story was reported from Los Angeles.