TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa woman is reunited with her dog after she reported him missing seven years ago.
Gabrielle Hartley said she reported her dog missing in 2018. She said she was at work when her home was burglarized.
WATCH: A Tampa woman is reunited with her dog after she reported him missing 7 years ago
She called the police to report her dog missing.
"I had him for a year. I was a bartender in Hyde Park. I lived off of Azeele and Himes. I only worked like three nights a week," she said.
"I get home from work at 4 a.m. My door is kicked in," said Hartley.
Hartley said over the years, she paid a subscription fee to PetKey to keep her information updated on Luca's microchip.
Last week, PetKey notified her that her dog had been located.
"They sent me an email, called me like eight times to let me know my dog had been found," she said.
A Tampa police officer found the dog alone, wandering on the street.
Officer Bishop brought him to Animal Doctors of South Tampa, where the dog was scanned for a microchip.
"Like so many people told me to give up, like you're not going to see your dog again. It's been seven years. It's never going to happen. He's gorgeous, and it happened, you know," said Hartley.
Hartley believes the person who stole her dog used him for breeding and dumped him on the street due to health issues.
She said Luca is underweight and was discovered in poor condition. He had surgery to remove a mass.
"He had a UTI, blood infection, broken teeth from probably trying to escape a cage, broken claws, defensive marks all over his body. He's only like 38 pounds for a full-grown male dog, that's not even close to healthy," said Hartley.
A friend created a GoFundMe page to help Hartley pay for medical bills. She took Luca to Harmony Vet Care for treatment.
"They really helped me out with the pricing and stuff. Harmony Vet Care literally saved his life, and I really appreciate them," said Hartley.
Hartley hopes Luca makes a full recovery.
"He still loves his favorite snacks, strawberries and peanut butter."
"That moment he crawled up on my bed and he's licking my hand, he's like looking at me, and I could tell he feels comfortable and safe, and it's so worth it," said Hartley.
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