- Chihuahua mix pup Gizmo was the runt of the litter when Judy’s dad brought him home
- She fell in love with him straight away and nursed him back to health
- Then he was dog-napped by a stranger and she lost him for years
Here Judy Monarrez, 38, tells her story in her own words…
Cuddling up on the couch with my chihuahua mix pup Gizmo, I couldn’t imagine a more blissful moment.
‘I love you, puppy,’ I said, giving him a kiss on the nose as his fluffy white fur brushed my cheek.
It was 2014 and, aged 27, I was living at home with my parents, Aurora, then 54, and Manuel, 57, and younger brother Albin, 23.
We had a beautiful fur family including our mixed breed Benji, our tanned chihuahua Chapo, and our newest addition, fluffy little Gizmo.
The previous October, Dad, a landlord, had come home with Gizmo – who was just a newborn pup – after one of his tenant’s dogs gave birth.
‘They said we can keep him,’ Dad explained.
This little white pooch was the runt of the litter, with a painful eye infection and hairless body.
At the sight of him, my pup-ternal instinct kicked in and I rushed over to the little guy Dad was holding in a blanket.
‘You’re going to be okay,’ I promised.
I cleaned his eyes before taking him to the vet for a check-up and medicine. Almost immediately, he showed signs of improving.
As I nursed him back to health, he progressed with gold stars! He has a new leash on life, I thought, admiring his new fur.
By then, Albin had named him Gizmo.
‘The name’s perfect,’ our older brother Christopher, then 30, agreed.
Benji and Chapo accepted Gizmo and they loved to play fetch together.
Alpha dog Benji and sweet Gizmo liked running amok, while shy Chapo watched on with his beloved stuffed animal.
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Gizmo was nosy too, eagerly waiting on his hind legs as we unwrapped presents at Christmas time. And he adored Mum, always following her around.
‘Gizmo, where are you?’ I’d call, only to find him snuggled on the sofa in Mum’s lap as they watched CSI together. And he’d wait patiently at the door for her when she was at work.
‘You melt our hearts, little guy,’ I’d tell him.
Then one windy day in February 2015, I went to work at the local optometrist’s office. During the day, I got a frantic call from Mum.
‘They’ve run away!’ she said, explaining the wind had blown open our faulty garden gate and, when the howling winds spooked the dogs, they’d run out.
Stuck at work, all I could do was wait for updates.
‘Our neighbour found Benji!’ Mum called to say, and soon after Chapo found his way home.
Returning to our house, I hugged them both tightly but felt swallowed by sadness. Where’s Gizmo?
It turned out he’d been spotted getting picked up by a woman, who’d driven off with him.
We hoped the stranger was getting his microchip checked so he could come home. But after 24 hours, there was no news.
Worried sick, I posted to Facebook, Help us find Gizmo, with a photo.
I also printed out flyers, and plastered them across the town.
‘We’ll look out for him,’ my friends at the local animal shelter assured me.
We even offered a reward for Gizmo’s finder. But still we had no luck.
I hope he’s okay out there, I prayed.
Weeks rolled into months and years, and we never stopped trying to find him. But hopes eventually faded.
When I began dating my boyfriend Joseph, then 37, in 2022, I loved how much he adored dogs too.
Moving in with him in July 2023, it was so fun being with his mixed-breed pups Gerry and Maizy.
And by then, Mum and Dad had adopted a little mixed-breed doggo Sophie, who was sweet and sassy with Benji and Chapo.
Life felt full, but now and then I felt there was a piece missing – Gizmo.
‘You would’ve loved him,’ I told Joseph.
One day in July 2024, I was busy baking when my phone pinged.
After popping the cookies in the oven, I saw an email I’d only ever dreamed of.
Gizmo has been found, it read, having been sent from his microchip company.
I fell to my knees and cried happy tears.
Incredibly, after nine years apart, our precious boy was coming home.
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Gizmo was at an animal hospital 16 kilometres away. An hour later, Albin and I arrived to see our pup.
The vet tech revealed Gizmo had a skin infection and dental disease, and would need extensive care.
‘He was only brought in today when a woman found him,’ they said.
I was sad to hear Gizmo had obviously had it so tough, but now reunited we would take care of him.
Brought out in a blankie, he was in rough shape – skinny, hairless and fragile. But it was undeniably Gizmo.
It’s your eyes, I thought.
Holding him, I burst into tears.
When we got home with our sweet boy, my parents and Christopher could hardly believe it.
‘Aw, Gizmo!’ they kissed him gently.
‘So nice to finally meet you,’ Joseph said, cuddling our little dog.
Starting a GoFundMe, we raised thousands of dollars to help with Gizmo’s medical bills.
Staying at my parents’ place to help care for him as a family, it was lovely to see Gizmo reconnect with Benji and meet Sophie. Chapo had sadly died the month before.
‘He gave Gizmo back to us,’ Mum said. Chapo’s spirit guided him home.
Almost a year later, we’ve lost Benji too, but Gizmo is in top shape and has his white fur back.
And he still loves Mum!
Life is full again with Gizmo back by our side.
