TAYLOR, Texas — A nonprofit near Taylor said it picked up a pit bull named Sebastian on Sunday like it would any other dog in need.
The search to reunite Sebastian with his owner started after the group found a microchip in the pit bull's back.
Melanie Rathke, the co-founder of the Texas Critter Crusaders, said people started sharing and posting Sebastian after putting his information on a lost-and-found pet group.
"People started posting him, and [someone] volunteered to scan him for a chip," Rathke said.
The chip was registered to Derrick Hancock in Fort Hood, but his contact information was a dead end. Rathke said after some digging, they found his Facebook and sent him a message.
“First, he messaged me and it was just all caps. ‘Oh my god. I thought he was dead,'" Hancock said.
Initially, Hancock said his mind went blank. He said he couldn't believe his best friend was still alive.
"He was my only best friend. That was my only dude," Hancock said.
Sebastian's origin story started back in 2018 as "Buck," when Hancock adopted him from the Killeen animal shelter. Hancock said he was in need of a companion after being stationed at Fort Hood. As soon as he saw Buck, Hancock said he knew.
But a year later, Hancock said he was deployed to Iraq and left Buck with his partner at the time. Things became tense in his relationship in the month he was gone.
"That's when I got a phone call randomly saying, 'Oh, Buck is gone,'" Hancock said.
Hancock was told Buck had gotten loose and was picked up by animal control for attacking a cat, so he would have to be put down for being aggressive. With no one to pick him up, Hancock thought Buck was gone.
"It's like losing a child," Hancock said.
However, Rathke said someone must've saved Buck before that happened.
“My theory is somebody in that neighborhood is taking care of him, but just not keeping him secured,” Rathke said.
Without the microchip, Rathke said Buck would have never been found. She said she strongly recommends microchipping your pets because it can save lives and reunite families.
“I tell people all the time, 'Do not ever give up hope,'" Rathke said. "If your pet is chipped, do not ever give up hope."
On Sunday, Buck will be on his way to be reunited with Hancock, who now lives in Virginia, after five years apart.
“I can't get excited until he's in my arms,” Hancock said. “That's where I know he made it back home safe. He's here with me. We're back together, and we can actually be a family.”
If you're interested in having your pets microchipped, the Texas Critter Crusaders host free microchipping events in Taylor and the surrounding areas.