Christmas miracle! Lost dog returned to owner with cancer after 10 days

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-A Christmas miracle a family had started to lose hope for. 

“She said,” Do you believe in miracles?” I was like you gotta be kidding. She said ‘they found him’,” said Mark Steinhorst. 

The Steinhorst family’s 3-year-old Australian Shepherd named Tuffy went missing from their home on December 18. They had left to visit family in Clarksville for an early Christmas celebration that night.

“We usually have his cage, his kennel by the back door inside and he went back there and was laying inside of his cage, laying there calmly. the sitter went back to the porch and as soon as he opened the door, Tuffy jumped up and bolted,” said Mark. 

Tuffy is so special to their  family. Mark has leukemia, and Tuffy has been at his side through it all.  

“He’s a high energy dog, but when Mark’s not feeling well, he dials down and he’s right there with him, whether it’s the bed or bathroom floor, even hotels for visits he’s right there with,” said Mark’s wife, Angie Steinhorst. 

Every day, they spent hours and hours outside looking for Tuffy. 

“The crunch was on for us. The race so to speak just to find him,” said Angie. 

With reports of him hit by a car, and freezing temperatures that dipped into the negatives, the family’s faith started to dwindle as the days passed on. 

“Then we were like, if you hit him, and you killed him, please just tell us, we’ll forgive you, we just want to know,” said Angie. 

Then, Tuesday right before the clock struck 4 p.m., they got a call. By this time, Tuffy had been missing for ten days. 

“It’s gotta be him… I honestly started bawling and had to hang up,” said Mark. 

Tuffy was found by a local business and taken to the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society. 

“They opened the door and he came running up to me and I dropped to my knees. I couldn’t believe it and started hugging him. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him. I didn’t think we were going to get him back, I really didn’t,” said Mark. 

A reunion they had been dreaming for. The couple says so many people, even strangers, joined to help them in the search for Tuffy. 

“You really feel the community being Bowling Green strong when they’re all stepping up for people they don’t even know,” said Mark. 

The owners had a $500 reward and a GoFundMe also raised an additional $500. The total $1,000 will be donated to the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society.