Watch this family surprise their son at school with his lost dog

There are few things that can make someone feel more helpless than their pet going missing. The Licata family, of Byron, New York, felt that devastation when their 2-year-old pug, Piper, disappeared from their backyard during a potty break last month.

Piper went missing on Nov. 18, and more than two weeks later, there was still no sign of the beloved dog, despite the family’s best efforts to find her. Fearing the worst, the Licatas began to consider what might be their terrible new reality: that they’d never see their companion again. Then, some amazing news came.

When April Licata received a message that a dog who matched Piper’s description was at a local animal shelter, she was ecstatic. She remained cautiously optimistic that her two older children, Carter and Natalie, would be reunited with their best friend.

Because Carter was out of town when Licata went to Genesee County Animal Shelter and confirmed that the pup suspected to be Piper was indeed her faithful friend, the mom decided to plan an extra-special reunion for her son and his pup. Although the whole family loves the adorable pug, Carter and Piper have an especially tight bond because the boy received her as a gift for his 12th birthday.

When Licata went to pick Carter up from school one day, she had Piper, complete with some Christmas bows around her neck, waiting in the passenger seat to greet her best friend after more than two weeks apart. Of course, she also had her phone out to film the moment — and we are glad she did.

Licata took to Facebook to share a video clip of the sweet reunion, and it’s positively heartwarming as the boy begins to cry before he even opens the car door. The post quickly went viral, racking up more than 2,000 shares, more than 600,000 views and more than 700 comments.

You can watch it below on YouTube and just try not to break down!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OogH5YZYJLE&feature=youtu.be

Aww! I’m honestly not sure who is more excited here, Piper or Carter!

I think the happy mom says it all in the opening line of her post that accompanied the video on Facebook: “I can’t even!”

“My son loves his dog so much, was sick while she was gone, and tonight she’s sleeping next to him again, ” Licata wrote in the Dec. 5 post. “What a Christmas miracle for our family and thank you to everyone who helped bring Piper home!”

Talk about a Christmas miracle! Here’s hoping that they have many more wonderful years with their faithful canine companion.