‘Like he never left': Bloomington man reunites with dog months after disappearance

Yahoo

20-07-2025

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A Bloomington man is celebrating a heartwarming reunion after unexpectedly finding his lost dog, thanks to a social media post from McLean County Animal Control.
Jason Mirous said he raised his dog, Jaxon, from the time he was just three weeks old.
'He was premature, barely eating out of a bottle,' Mirous said. 'He was my first child.'
Jaxon, a half red nose, half blue nose pit bull, became part of the family just before Mirous had his first child. But after welcoming his second baby into the family, space and time grew tight. Hoping to ensure Jaxon was cared for, Mirous asked a close friend to take him in temporarily.
'He had a bond with Jaxon, and it seemed like a good fit,' Mirous said.
Over time, communication with that friend began to fade. Mirous says he tried calling and texting with no response until one day he saw a troubling post on social media.
'His girlfriend posted that Jaxon was lost,' he said. 'I was confused because I'd been trying to reach them.'
After months of uncertainty and searching, Mirous spotted a post from McLean County Animal Control a dog named 'Jaxon,' spelled exactly how he used to spell it, was up for adoption.
'I rushed there the next morning,' he said. 'The moment he saw me, he lit up. It was like, 'Where have you been?''
Mirous learned Jaxon had been dropped off anonymously and had spent four months at the shelter. Despite being microchipped as a puppy, staff told him they couldn't find any records.
'That shocked me,' he said. 'They couldn't find the chip, but they somehow had his vaccination records from when he was a baby.'
While grateful for the reunion, Mirous is frustrated that he was never contacted before Jaxon was put up for adoption or neutered.
'If we had known he was there, we would've been at that pound the same day. He wouldn't have been there four months,' he said.
Now back home, Jaxon is adjusting a little more energetic and a little less obedient, but Mirous said their bond is stronger than ever.
'It's like he never left,' he said. 'He's not going anywhere this time. He's going to grow old and die with me.'
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