Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in America in October 2012, killing an estimated 286 people and causing $62 billion in damage.
It was a devastating time for the James family who lost their terrier-pitbull mix Reckless during the hurricane.
Reckless, who was not microchipped but wore an identification collar, escaped through a hole in a fence at the family home in New Jersey and his owners have spent the last year and a half searching for him to no avail.
Elicia and Chuck James recently decided to adopt another dog in time for their daughter Ally's tenth birthday and went to their local animal shelter, but little did they know they were in for a huge surprise.
The first dog the couple were introduced was strikingly similar to Reckless even though they could hardly believe it was him.
"Literally when we opened the double doors, the first cage we walk up to I thought 'that looks like Reckless,'" Chuck told the
Asbury Park Press.
"He was a little heavier and it’s been a little while, but then my wife saw the scar on his head and immediately we start tearing up and we found our dog".
Reckless, was who was renamed Lucas, was picked up by the SPCA in Monmouth County, according to the
New York Daily News.
"If Reckless had been microchipped, we could have reunited him with his family much sooner," Jerry Rosenthal, president and CEO of the animal shelter, told CNN.
"We love happy endings. I always tell people our goal is to prevent animals from coming into the shelter except when we can get them back to their original owners."
