Stranger rewarded for returning missing dog that was dumped in busy street

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - A dog and its owner were reunited after being apart for over a week, and are now thanking the stranger who made it possible.

It was on March 6 when 10-year-old Libby, a Japanese Chin, went missing after she managed to get away from her owner while she was running errands. It only took a few seconds for little Libby to disappear into the streets of the Memorial City area.

Those seconds turning into countless hours of searching, and days of anxiety hoping that someone out there would bring Libby home. Flyers boosting a reward were put up all over the area. Cindy Little, Libby's owner, hit the pavement during the day and turned to social media at night. She even considered hiring a pet detective.

Video surveillance that was put up after the pup wandered off, it shows a car driving up to the same location the dog went missing from, and dumping Libby in the busy street, before taking off.

Thankfully, Fernando Alvarado found her outside and brought her into his office. Cindy was relieved to get her little girl back! She said Fernando didn't even mention the reward money. Cindy invited him over so he could be reunited with Libby, and finally give him the cash reward she felt he very much deserved.

Libby had lost some weight and was matted in filth, leading Cindy to believe she was kept in a cage all those days before she was returned. Besides that, she was in perfect health. Cindy says it’s going to be very hard for her to ever let Libby out of her sight again.