This story has been updated. 

DeKalb County, GA — A recent Decaturish article about a DeKalb County woman’s missing dog — and the viral internet campaign to find her — resulted in a happy reunion on Friday morning.

Hannah Riley, who lives in Edgewood, previously said that her dog Hazel, a 10-year-old Papillon mix, escaped from Saint Francis veterinary hospital in Decatur. Riley was in Toronto at the time. Riley’s pet sitter took Hazel to the vet after the dog had ingested some of the pet sitter’s Delta 8 gummies. An employee of Saint Francis took the dog out for a walk without a leash on Sunday morning, and the dog escaped with a catheter still in her leg and a hospital tag around her neck.

After Riley posted about the incident on Twitter, scores of internet sleuths joined the search. But while the case received national attention, it was a Medlock Park woman who solved the case after reading the Decaturish article.

Melanie Mills was getting her kids ready for school when she saw Hazel “just standing on my porch.”

At first, Mills thought it was a neighbor’s dog and tried to shoo her away, but Hazel walked into her house instead of leaving. Soon, she noticed that some hair had been shaved from the dog’s leg where the catheter would’ve gone. Then she remembered our story.

“I scrolled back and found the article and said, ‘I’m pretty sure this is her,'” Mills said. 

And sure enough, it was.

Riley reunited with Hazel soon after and said she was “very tired” and sitting in her lap the whole way home. She said Hazel’s return is a testament to the “power of local media.” 

Saint Francis took public heat for the incident and assisted Riley in the search.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at Saint Francis Veterinary Specialists and Emergency a few days ago,” the hospital said.

Riley celebrated Hazel’s return via a social media post.

SOMEONE FOUND HAZEL!!!!!!! I’m driving to the house in Decatur right now!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/zLKvRPp93U

— Hannah Riley (@hannahcrileyy) March 22, 2024

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