Those stories about dogs traveling hundreds of miles to be reunited with their owners are always pretty unbelievable, but this one takes the cake. Just a few days after 26-year-old musician Stephan Soleas hitched a ride from his home in Taos, N.M. to New Orleans, his 6-year-old Lab mix went missing. On Feb. 5, Soleas heard that his dog, Charlie, had reappeared about 50 blocks from where Soleas was staying, over 1,200 miles from their home. Turns out Charlie really, really, really didn’t want to miss Mardi Gras.
Charlie’s journey “home” began when a New Orleans couple vacationing in Taos spotted him running down the street. He wasn’t wearing a collar, so they assumed he was a stray. The couple fell in love with the white dog, who jumped into their car as soon as they opened the door. As Soleas told Paw Nation, “It is very common for Charlie to run off because he is very cute and he understands his affect on people. He is the most free willed dog I have ever met.” And if this doesn’t blow your mind, nothing will: By coincidence, the couple even named the dog Charlie.
To read the rest of Charlie’s amazing journey, visit Paw Nation.