Watch: Indiana National Guard sergeant reunited with missing dog in heartwarming video

GOSHEN, Ind. — An Indiana National Guard sergeant and her fluffy best friend are back together more than a month after the dog vanished during a car crash.

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According to WOWK-TV and WSAZ-TV, Sgt. Jillian Sandefur, of Mishawaka, Indiana, and her Shetland sheepdog, Murphy, were separated June 12 after they were involved in a rollover wreck on U.S. Route 35 in West Virginia. The frightened 1-year-old pooch fled the scene as Sandefur fell unconscious, Sandefur’s father, Jeff, told WSAZ.

Sandefur searched for Murphy for days but was unable to find the missing dog, according to WSAZ. She later returned to Indiana because she had to work, the TV station reported.

That’s when local animal lovers who had heard Sandefur’s story sprang into action. Becky Randolph was among several volunteers who set traps and looked for Murphy daily, WSAZ reported.

On Thursday, their efforts finally paid off: The group discovered Murphy inside a trap that had used his favorite food as bait, according to WSAZ.

Randolph’s partner, Tera Gardner, and other volunteers left West Virginia with Murphy the following night and arrived in Indiana on Saturday morning for the long-awaited reunion, WOWK reported. A Facebook video captured the heartwarming moment when the surprised sheltie rushed toward Sandefur, barking excitedly and covering his owner with kisses.

“Murphy is home,” Randolph and Gardner wrote alongside the clip, adding that they would not accept a reward for the good deed.

Sandefur honored the favor by writing the pair an emotional thank-you letter addressed to “my heroes,” WOWK reported.

“It’s not every day that you encounter people who are exceptionally selfless to others, such as yourself,” Sandefur wrote, according to the TV station. “My fur baby and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

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