A Blind Dog Went Missing in a Thunderstorm — 33 Days Later, His Family Couldn’t Believe What They Saw

AI Helps Reunite Blind Senior Dog with Her Family After 33 Days Lost in a Storm

A senior blind dog named Sandy has finally made it home after more than a month apart from her family — all thanks to the power of human kindness and artificial intelligence.

In early June, a thunderstorm rolled through San Antonio, Texas, terrifying the 12-year-old pup. Disoriented and frightened by the noise, Sandy bolted out into the night and vanished.

“I was so scared for her,” said Juliette Gonzalez, Sandy’s owner. “She’s blind and old — I was just terrified something terrible would happen.”

For weeks, Gonzalez searched tirelessly — walking the neighborhood, calling shelters, and posting online — but Sandy was nowhere to be found. Out of options, she turned to Love Lost, a free nationwide database that uses AI facial recognition to help reunite missing pets with their owners.

The platform compares photos of lost pets with images of animals recently taken in by shelters, looking for matches. Gonzalez uploaded Sandy’s photo and hoped for a miracle.

That miracle came on July 4 — 33 days after Sandy disappeared. Love Lost sent Gonzalez an alert that a dog matching Sandy’s photo had been found at the Footbridge Foundation rescue.

“When I saw the photo, I knew it was her,” Gonzalez said. “My heart was racing — I was so excited I could hardly breathe.”

When Gonzalez arrived at the shelter, Sandy instantly recognized her mom.
“She was wagging her tail like crazy,” Gonzalez said. “Sandy’s finally home, and she’s back to playing in the yard with her brother.”

Love Lost, part of Petco Love, has already helped reunite more than 140,000 lost pets with their families through its AI-powered system. The technology even scans public posts from Nextdoor and Ring, ensuring that lost pets and their humans can find each other — no matter where they’re posted.

“Too often, lost and found pet posts are scattered across different platforms,” said Abbie Moore, COO of Petco Love. “Love Lost brings them all together in one place — and that’s what makes reunions like Sandy’s possible.”

This fall, Love Lost will introduce a new ‘Search Party’ feature, helping pet owners organize volunteers, create flyers, and coordinate search efforts when a pet goes missing.

As for Sandy, she’s proof that love, technology, and determination can bring families back together — even after the storm.