SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — One Pinellas County couple is feeling extra thankful this week as they reunite with a loved one they weren't sure they'd ever see again.
"It was the most traumatizing experience of my life. He is my child," Lindsay Rasmussen said.
When Hurricane Milton tore across Safety Harbor, it tore down Lindsay and her husband's fence. Before Lindsay noticed the damage, her 10-year-old Border Collie mix, Riley, ran off.
As a result of trauma from when he was a puppy, Lindsay said he went into "survival mode."
"I adopted Riley nine years ago," Lindsay explained. "He was severely malnourished, underweight, abused. As soon as he got out he went into survival mode. He was only thinking of food, water, shelter, and survival. People were a threat."
In the six weeks that followed, Lindsay said her search became all-consuming.
"I kept at it every day, mornings and nights. Leaving work, missing work. Didn't sleep, didn't eat," she explained.
She said her search crossed cities and the vast landscape of social media. Thousands in a Safety Harbor Facebook group engaged with her posts, supporting the search online.
"The community of Safety Harbor was amazing. So many people were out looking for him. I got so many prayers," she said.
She also got reports of sightings, one of which led trackers to a Safety Harbor neighborhood on Monday, and right to Riley.
Recalling the reunion, Lindsay said, "It was very emotional. When I walked around that corner and I saw him in the trap, he was just chilling waiting for me. He knew he was safe."
Then, she was surprised to see how much her own joy was reflected by people online.
In a post that has now received nearly 5K interactions on Facebook, people shared their own excitement about the news of Riley's homecoming.
One commenter wrote, "I have tears of happiness! I'm literally crying for you both."
Another wrote, "Welcome home, Riley! Safety Harbor has been worried for you!"
And another wrote, "Just in time for Thanksgiving. Many blessings."
It seemed as though after back-to-back hurricanes, Safety Harbor needed something positive to rally around.
"I keep saying it's overwhelming because it is," Lindsay said. "The love from this community over one dog, it's crazy."
Lindsay is not just a dog lover. Fortunately, she's also a vet tech. She said Riley lost 14 pounds in the six weeks he was on the run. Now, she said he's being tested and getting all the proper care he needs to recover.