A family that was forced to give up their beloved pet dogs during a move, was reunited with the dogs four years later. The unexpected and happy reunion occurred after the dogs showed up at a church looking hungry and bedraggled. Some of the church members realized that the dogs had an old ID chip, the former owners were contacted.
In 2004, the Knepper family adopted the two dogs from an animal shelter in San Antonio, Texas and named the dogs Samson and Cleo. Though the family loved their auburn haired companions, they had to give them away when they moved to California because of health issues. The family’s new home in Laguna Beach would have no yard for the dogs to run in, so they decided to leave Samson and Cleo in Texas with someone who they thought could provide them with a better life. In short – these pup’s moved around the country a lot.
Dawn and Kurt Knepper always regretted giving away the dogs that they and their two children had loved so much. Dawn said the goodbye had been excruciating, and she would often get sad when her children talked about the happy times that they remembered spending with their dogs. Despite the heartache, Dawn and Kurt Knepper had thought that they were doing the right thing for Samson and Cleo.
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So when the phone rang, and the Kneppers were informed that their beloved dogs had been found, Kurt Knepper was stunned, and understandably pretty confused. But he immediately leapt intp his car. The drive was 20 hours in each direction, but when he finally delivered his children’s long-lost pets, he knew it had been well-worth it.
The dogs and the family bonded again almost instantly. The Kneppers don’t know exactly what led the dogs to the church door, as the previous owner was never found. They do know, however, that the dogs managed to survive by themselves during the 100-degree days of Texas without frying like a couple of weiners.
The Kneppers now live in a new home in Orange County where Samson and Cleo get regular walks on the beach. The dogs seem to be really enjoying their new homes