Beer can reunites long-lost dog with owner
Every dog has its day and for Hazel the pitbull mix it came when her former owner saw her on a beer can.
Monica Mathis had owned Hazel since she was a puppy. Then in May 2017 the dog disappeared from her home in Iowa. Mathis searched for weeks but could not find her. The next month she moved to Minnesota. She got a divorce and changed her name.
Last March, halfway across the country, a stray pitbull mix was brought to Manatee County Animal Services in Palmetto, Florida. The shelter could not trace her owner as the contact details on her microchip and licence were out of date.
Then a local microbrewery, Motorworks Brewing, came up with a promotional plan for its new light ale that would raise money for a new dog shelter. On January 19 the Adoptable
Dog Cruiser Kolsch four-pack went on sale, with each can featuring a photograph of a dog that was available for adoption.
The story went viral on social media and before long Mathis caught sight of it while scrolling through her Facebook feed. She was immediately drawn to ‘‘DayDay’’ the pitbull mix.
‘‘I was like, ’Look how close she looks to my dog’,"she told The Tampa Bay Times. On closer inspection she wondered if it might actually be Hazel. She sent the shelter Hazel’s vet’s records and photographs and received confirmation that the dog was hers.
It is not known how Hazel made it to Florida but she has received a medical all clear and will now be transported to Minnesota to be reunited with her owner. ‘‘I did not ever think I was going to find her again,’’ Mathis said. ‘‘I’m so happy that I get my family back.’’
– The Times