Newlywed's dog missing for 30 days was traced near alligator territory — then they grilled burgers outside an apartment, and the unbelievable happened

'It's almost like when I put the harness over her head, she re-entered back into old Mia,' the delighted owner said.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L ) A missing dog poster ; (R) Man seasoning meat while the woman arranges veggies on the grill at an outdoor BBQ. (Representative Cover Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Jeffrey Coolidge ; (R) Studio4)

A couple traveled to Wilmington with their family for their wedding. Everything was planned for their special day on October 17, 2025. However, their beloved dog went missing just days before their big day, forcing Anna Luckette and her husband, Brock, to go ahead with their wedding without their canine companion. But 30 days later, on Tuesday, November 17, 2025, the couple received a tip about their missing pooch and the clever trick they used to lure him back worked like magic.

A man and wife reading their wedding vows. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by AlexanderFord)

"We had the most perfect like think textbook-perfect wedding," Anna Luckette told WwayTv3. Their big day was planned in Wilmington, but a couple of days before the wedding, they decided to drop off their dog, Mia, with a bridesmaid downtown. However, she never expected what was going to happen next. "The second they pulled into the parking lot of their Airbnb, they opened the door and Mia bolted out, it was like the most freak accident," Anna recalled. The couple was out till 3 in the morning frantically searching and waiting for their dog, but to their disappointment, they were unable to track her.

A woman buckling up a Goldendoodle dog in the back seat of a car. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | JasonDoiy)

The couple decided to go on with their wedding without Mia. Anna's mom, Sally Lemmo of Cleveland, Ohio, stayed in Wilmington to continue searching for Mia, while the newlyweds left for Greece for their non-refundable honeymoon. But they did not stop worrying about their pet. After they reportedly posted about Mia being missing on Facebook, many community members joined them in the search party. Erin Eaton, the president of K9's On Call, a non-profit organisation based in North Carolina that helps lost pets reunite with their parents, deployed a pet detective search dog and scent tracking to find Mia. "I know they were grilling at the Airbnb, we put out scent articles, trying to lure her back to it, and I mean she's a smart girl, she managed to go pretty much unseen for 30 days," Eaton said.

A person cooking a barbecue in their garden. Representative Image Source: Pexels | RDNE Stock Project — A person cooking a barbecue in their garden. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | RDNE Stock Project)

Fortunately, Mia was tracked at Wallace Park, which is home to many alligators. Soon after, a resident of the nearby Chateau Terrace apartment complex saw Mia. Hurrying from Raleigh to Wilmington, Anna and Brock decided to try an unusual tactic. They grilled burgers near the apartment, hoping the irresistible smell would coax Mia back to them, and much to their surprise, the plan worked, and the lost pooch finally reunited with her family.

"It's almost like when I put the harness over her head, she [sic] re-entered back into old Mia," Anna said. "Now she is skinny, she is already a skinny dog, she lost about 10 pounds, so that just like our main thing," she added. According to a 2012 study published by the National Library of Medicine, 93% of lost dogs were recovered, with 14% found through an identification tag. The study also states that dogs were more likely to be lost more than once as compared to cats.