Woman reunites with dog in Mesa after it went missing for 3 years

It was a reunion that was three years in the making for a California woman who used to live in Yuma. FOX 10's Stephanie Olmo reports.

MESA, Ariz. - A woman from Yuma is finally reunited with her dog, after the dog went missing three years ago.

It was in 2016 when Elizabeth Starnegg's Husky, Sokka, went missing. She had gotten a petsitter for Sokka, who was just over a year old at the time, before her deployment.

It was during Starnegg's time away in the Air Force when Sokka escaped.

"I've gotten back to Yuma plenty of times looking for him after the Air Force," said Starnegg. "I came like, 'where's my dog?'"

After months of searching, Starnegg moved to Fallbrook, California, a community located in between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Starnegg came to terms that she'd probably never see Sokka again, and got a tattoo in his honor.

"The black is like he's no longer in my life, which he is now," said Starnegg. "The red signifies his boldness. His strength."

Fast forward three years, Starnegg never thought this day would come, a day when she reconnects with her Sokka.

As it turns out, Sokka was found by someone shortly after he went missing. The man took care of the dog this whole time, until Sokka became ill this summer with Sarcoptic Mange, which is a highly contagious skin disease.

"You couldn't really touch him because he was so tender and so sore and so red," said Debbie Varner. "Open wounds. I mean, it was really bad."

Varner and Kerri Ruehs took on the responsibility to help treat the dog in Mesa. A foster family then took Sokka in for a couple of months until he fully recovered. It wasn't until earlier in the week when Sokka went to get his vaccination shots, and was scanned for a microchip.

"I was like, 'oh my gosh that's unreal. Contact the owner,'" said Varner. "She was in tears."

Starnegg traveled six hours to mesa to reunite with her long lost pup, along with her other fur babies.