Newly adopted dog escapes new family and rings doorbell at shelter she was adopted from

A lost dog rang the doorbell of the Animal Rescue League of El Paso where she used to live and though it was 1:30 in the morning, the staffs were happy and excited to open the door for the familiar face they all adore.

Bailey was once a shelter dog. She lived at the Animal Rescue League in El Paso, Texas.

All the staff and volunteers love her for being so sweet and affectionate. She was the longest-serving resident at the shelter and finding a new family wasn’t easy.

A month ago, Bailey finally found a new home and she had to bid goodbye to the shelter and the people who became her family for many years. It was a sad day at the shelter and none of the staff imagined that they would see Bailey at their doorstep again.

After only a month with her new family, Bailey went missing. Her owner was trying out a new harness and something startled Bailey, making her run fast. The owner chased her but the disconcerted dog was nowhere to be seen.

Bailey’s owner told the animal shelter that the dog went missing and they immediately asked for help. They posted a message on Facebook with Bailey’s photos, asking for people’s help.

“This beautiful girl — Bailey — has gotten loose in the area of Mesa and Sunland Park, on the west side. She is very friendly. If you spot her or find her, please call.”

Sightings of Bailey started pouring in and a lot of helpful citizens replied where they last saw the dog. Each sighting got closer and closer to the animal shelter, which gave the staff the idea that perhaps Bailey was on the way to her old home.

“For whatever reason, it felt to me that she was on her way here. I said, ‘She’s coming back to the shelter,” said Loreta Hyde, founder of the Animal Rescue League.

It turned out Hyde’s hunch wasn’t wrong. At 1:30 in the morning, a few days after Bailey went missing; the staff of the animal shelter was alerted by the doorbell camera. A dog was shown standing outside the shelter, waiting to be welcomed.

“[Our staffer] looked and thought, ‘Is that Bailey?’” Hyde said. “You can talk through the doorbell camera, so she hollered, ‘Bailey?’ Then the dog looked at the camera, like, ‘Yeah, it’s me! Let me in!’” The staffer quickly drove to the shelter to check on Bailey and let her in.

Though they were not completely surprised that Bailey would go back to the shelter, they were amazed by how he found his way, considering that the location of his last sighting was two miles away.  “She knew exactly where to go,” said Hyde. “Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for.”

People from the shelter were all happy to see Bailey again. She was tired and hungry from her long journey so they gave her food, water, and a cozy bed. According to Hyde, Bailey ate a big bowl of food and slept all morning.

Hyde knows that Bailey loves her new family and they did all they could to track her down. However, she also understands that Bailey has been in the shelter for a long time and still saw it as her home.

It only proved that the animal shelter still has a big place in Bailey’s heart. “That morning, we called him to say we had Bailey,” Hyde said. “He hurried over as soon as he could.”

Bailey reunited with her new dad and went back to where she really belonged. “They’re welcome to come visit anytime. Bailey’s dad appreciates us, and we appreciate him,” Hyde said. “They will be back to visit. I know they will.”