Man reunited with dog that went missing while he was in rehab

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A St. Paul man was reunited with his German shepherd after it had been missing for about five months.

Elias Cimbura left his dog, Riley, with a friend before entering rehab in the fall. When Cimbura finished his program, his friend told him Riley escaped in October. It was a devastating loss for Cimbura, who called the dog his world.

"After my fiance died, he filled that hole that gap and he's always been my family, you know, he's been a part of me," said Cimbura. "Since he was a month old, and from the day that I got him, we were pretty much at the hip."

The Retrievers, a group that helps find missing pets, assisted Cimbura with getting the word out. Just a day after Cimbura shared his story on FOX 9, a tip led them to Riley, who had been taken in by a family. Cimbura says he's ecstatic to have Riley back.

"Thank God he's chipped because that made a world of difference," he said. "If he hadn't have been chipped, I don't think I would have gotten him back."