Blog: From Florida to Oklahoma and Back – Andora and Brenna are Together Again

2 years ago, Florida-resident Brenna Denmark’s beloved dog Andora went missing. Upset but resigned to never knowing what happened to her, Brenna and her family tried to move on. Until they got a call in 2024 that would change their lives again: Andora had been found 5 states away in Oklahoma.  

According to KSN.com’s original article, Andora had been near the finder, Destiny’s, home in Enid Oklahoma. Destiny had searched multiple times for Andora’s owner through social media, but came up empty. When she brought Andora to her friend Autumn, a dog groomer with a microchip scanner, Brenna’s information was finally found and their reunion was made possible.

We had the chance to speak with Brenna about the experience and how Andora is doing now that she’s back with her family.

PetLink: When did you have Andora microchipped? Was she microchipped when you adopted her?

Brenna Denmark: Andora was adopted and automatically came with a microchip. The facility helped us register her with PetLink.

PL: Do you recall what happened on the day Andora went missing?

BD: Unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact details. It was roughly 2 years since she went missing, so we’re not sure if she got out and someone picked her up, or what may have happened.

PL: What went through your mind when you received the call that Andora had been found?

BD: We were excited when we discovered she had been found, and expected to drive maybe around 20 minutes to get her. That’s when we found out that she was in Oklahoma, which is 900 miles away. We honestly didn’t think that we would be able to get her because of how far Oklahoma is from Pensacola.

PL: What influenced your decision to get her, and how did you facilitate that reunion?

BD: The people who found her said that a shelter was going to pick her up the next day, and all their shelters [in that area] are kill shelters. Andora is a Pitbull, [and being euthanized] is not something she deserves in the slightest. She is such a sweet and loving dog.

So, we started weighing our options. Most airlines don’t let you travel with a Pitbull from what we could find, so that was off the table. We ultimately had to put our bills on hold, use the rest of our credit limit, rent a car, and drive to get her.

Video supplied by @wearetv

PL: That must have been a tough decisions. How did it feel to finally reunite with Andora?

BD: I was worried she wouldn’t remember us, it had been roughly 2 years since we saw her last. But as soon as we got out of the car and called her name, she ran to us. She jumped on me to give me kisses and hugs. She also turned over for belly rubs (her favorite thing!). The people that found her said she has never [asked for belly rubs] from them and they had kept her for 3 or 4 days!

PL: That shows you the unbreakable bond between a pet and a loving owner. I have to ask: how do you think she got to Oklahoma?

BD: I’m honestly not sure. I think she got out when somebody saw her wandering they though, “Wow, what a pretty dog”, and took her with them, not bothering to have her scanned. I noticed in a lot of “lost pet” groups, a lot of people will say “Oh, I want that dog, let me come get her” and they aren’t even the real owners of that dog.

All I know is when we picked her up, she was very skinny. She had ticks on her, and she had a lot of scars. I have no idea what happened to her when she was gone, but I don’t think she walked [to Oklahoma] at all [laughs].

PL: Yeah, it’s so hard to speculate. What was the adjustment period like and how is she doing now?

BD: Honestly, there was no adjustment period. She ran around the house like she had never left. When we got home, she ran straight to the toy bucket (which wasn’t even in the same spot as it used to be) and automatically grabbed a toy. She kept that toy with her until the next day. I want to say she’s already chewed through every toy we own, and she’s only been home since Sunday. We’re going to have to get her some new ones.

The only thing that was a little off was that she is skittish about other dogs, but otherwise, there was no adjustment to home life whatsoever. She’s still potty trained, she still wants to sleep in our bed, and she still wants to play with the kids. Most importantly, she wants to lay on the couch and be a couch potato. It’s like she has never left! Love, belly rubs, and cuddles, that’s what she gets all the time now.