Smelly Socks Reunite Missing Dog With 93-Year-Old Owner
In what is likely most people’s favorite story from 2025, an old man was reunited with his missing dog after weeks apart. The heartwarming reunion was captured for the world to see. Sunny, the golden lab, escaped over a fence and spent weeks living in the wild. When she was finally spotted, the rescue effort was swift and successful. Here’s how it went down and how the pup found her way home.
A missing dog was rescued thanks to her owner’s socks
According to ABC News, 93-year-old man Norm Feigenbaum went to the store and left Sunny at home, as he usually does. When he was gone, it seemed that Sunny didn’t want to be left alone. So, she did the only thing a dog knows to do, she jumped the fence. It wasn’t until Feigenbaum returned home that he realized that Sunny had escaped.
“After several days, I really thought she was gone,” Feigenbaum told ABC News. “The house was barren without her.”
He was so sad without his dog that he asked others for help. In order to find her, Feigenbaum turned to Dog Days Search & Rescue Team. The organization helps people find lost pets when they run away.
Sunny was spotted near the Chatsworth Reservoir walking along one of the roads. Someone called Dog Days about Sunny’s location and the rescue kicked up. According to an Instagram post, the area where Sunny was spotted is usually closed. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was working there and allowed the rescue team to set traps.
It only took 30 minutes to trap and rescue Sunny
The rescue team knew that they needed to get Sunny interested so they turned to a smell that would get her attention. The group turned to Feigenbaum’s smelly socks. The team lined them up and it took less than an hour for Sunny to pick up the scent and make her way to being rescued.
Sunny got a full check-up at the vet after being rescued before being reunited with Feigenbaum. With a clean bill of health, Sunny is back home. Feigenbaum has a special plan for the socks that helped to reunite him with his best friend.
“I’m not going to wash [the socks],” Feigenbaum told ABC News. “I’m going to put them in a frame and hang them on the wall.”
Thankfully, Sunny is safe. Pets aren’t just pets anymore. They are full members of the families with voting rights at family meetings. They have a way of sneaking into your hearts. Just look at how many dads change their minds about pets once you bring them home.
Losing one of your pets is an emotional rollercoaster and, thankfully, the ordeal is over for Feigenbaum and Sunny.
