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Their 12-year-old blind dog suddenly disappeared during a thunderstorm — a month later, AI gave them the clue they’d been praying for

Before turning to AI, she spent weeks searching, checking shelters, and asking everyone about the lost, disoriented dog.

BY PAHUL NANRA

PUBLISHED 5 DAYS AGO

(L) A senior blind pet dog. (R) A woman using AI on her phone and laptop. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Elizabeth Fernandez, (R) d3sign)

For one Texas family, a sudden summer storm changed everything. As thunder shook the night sky, their 12-year-old blind dog, Sandy, vanished into the darkness. What followed wasn’t just a neighborhood search but a relentless, hope-filled mission that stretched on for weeks. Every passing day felt heavier, each lead more precious. Then, just when it seemed Sandy was gone forever, a single AI-generated match delivered the clue they had been praying for, setting the stage for an emotional reunion they would never forget.

A woman hugging her blind pet dog. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Imber Media) — A woman hugging her blind pet dog. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Imber Media)

As reported by PEOPLE, in early June 2025, a powerful thunderstorm struck San Antonio, Texas. The thunder startled Sandy, sending the senior blind dog bolting away from her home. “I was very worried and so scared for her, especially because she is blind and a senior. I was scared to death,” said her owner, Juliette Gonzalez. She searched the neighborhood for weeks, checked shelters daily, and spoke to anyone who might have seen a small, disoriented dog. But Sandy had simply disappeared. Out of options and time, Gonzalez turned to Love Lost, a free nationwide AI-powered database that helps reunite missing pets with their families. She uploaded Sandy’s photo, holding on to the small thread of hope that technology might succeed where luck hadn’t.

Worried young woman covering face with hand (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Liza Summer) — Worried young woman covering face with hand. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Liza Summer)

Love Lost uses image-matching technology to scan photos of missing pets against thousands of shelter intakes nationwide. On July 4, 33 long days after Sandy disappeared, Gonzalez received the alert that changed everything. The program had found a possible match. In the photo from the Footbridge Foundation shelter, she immediately recognized the familiar face despite Sandy’s weight loss. “I was so excited, and my heart was racing,” Gonzalez expressed. She quickly contacted the shelter to confirm, and just like that, the blind senior dog who vanished in a storm was finally found.

Close up of a sad young woman reading bad news - Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Ivan Pantic — Close up of a sad young woman reading bad news. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Ivan Pantic)

When Sandy returned home, the joy was unmistakable. “She was so very happy. Her tail was wagging so much. Sandy is very happy to be back home with our family and playing in her yard with her brother,” Gonzalez recalled. Love Lost, created by Petco Love, is designed to solve one of the biggest problems in lost pet recovery, which is scattered information. “One major obstacle to reuniting lost pets with their families is the sheer number of places where people can choose to post lost and found pets online,” said Abbie Moore, chief operating officer of Petco Love. By collecting data from different platforms into one searchable space, Love Lost makes reunions like Sandy’s far more likely.

Woman kissing her dog on the forehead - Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Manuel Tauber-Romieri — Woman kissing her dog on the forehead. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Manuel Tauber-Romieri)

More than 140,000 lost pets have already been reunited through the platform, which also scans posts on platforms like Nextdoor and Ring to increase reach. To make searches even more efficient, Petco Love plans to roll out a new “Search Party” feature, allowing pet parents to organize community help in real time. “Search Party can reduce the mental and emotional burden on pet parents by offering structured ways to ask for help, like printing out flyers, posting on social media, and coordinating where people should be searching,” explained Aaron Klein, head of product at Petco Love.