FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM) -- They saw news coverage of their missing dog's rescue from a nearby house fire, and that's how a Fruitport family found their lost pet, Sadie.
"I got her when she was 6 weeks old," says dog owner Marie Tejchma. "It's such a relief to go to bed at night knowing she is back home."
13 year old Sadie, who is nearly blind , wandered away from home in November. She was taken in by Sara Puente, who found her nearly 3 miles away, miserable and missing her collar.
"I looked around and there was nobody available to ask is this your dog," says Puente. "So, I took her home. I didn't know what to do with her. I thought I was doing the right thing."
That's how it might have ended if it weren't for the fire Monday at the Puente home on Pontaluna Road.
Video of firefighters rescuing Sadie and giving her oxygen appeared on WZZM 13 News.
"My son caught a glimpse of her on TV," says Tejchma. "He says, 'Mom, I think I found Sadie.' I went to the fire department with pictures and said, 'This is my dog.' "
The fire department contacted Puente.
"He said a woman came in and said this is her dog and she had pictures," recalls Puente. "She said she really missed her dog and would I be willing to give her up. I said, 'Of course.' She was so worried I wouldn't give her back."
"I know what kind of dog she is," says Tejchma. "I wouldn't want to give her back."
"I'm just happy Sadie has her person back," says Puente. "That's all that matters when it comes to a dog."
While the Puentes recover from the fire at their house, they say they may drop their dachshund at the Techma's to stay with Sadie until they find a new place to live. The two dogs and the families are now friends.
"I can't imagine what she went through all of these months," says Puente. "It's funny how things work out."