David Marks told ABC News today that he and his wife,
Alison Marks, were "overjoyed" and "grateful" to be
spending Christmas again with Willie, their Shetland sheepdog, now 11 years
old.
The couple hadn't seen the Sheltie since he went missing in
April of 2009 while they were all vacationing in the Pioche Hills, a mountain
range in southeastern Nevada.
"While we were up in the mountains, Willie and his
brother picked up on a rabbit or something and took off," David Marks
explained. "Willie's brother Waylon came back, but he did not. We searched
all weekend in a snowstorm in the mountains of Nevada, but we never saw any
evidence that Willie was anywhere around."
David Marks said he and his wife put up fliers and asked
around the area, but they "never heard back" from anyone -- until
now.
"About two weeks ago, we got a call from an animal
shelter in Elko, Nevada, and they said they picked up a stray, checked his microchip
and found us," he said. "I couldn't believe it. It was an absolute
surprise, and the perfect Christmas gift."
David Marks added that Willie "recognized us right
away" and that he "immediately came right over, wagging his
tail."
After a local TV station ran their story, the Marks heard
from a family in Elko that apparently had been caring for him for the past six
years before he recently ran off again.
"The individual caring for him said that Willie
somehow got to Eureka, Nevada, which is over 300 miles from Las Vegas,"
David Marks said.
"The sheriff over there picked him after they found
him in bad shape. He took care of Willie and nursed him back to health, so he
gave him to a lady in Jackpot, Nevada, and then she moved to Elko, and he
recently ran off."
David Marks joked that he's sure Willie told his Sheltie
brother the whole story of his adventures the past six years and that he and
his wife are curious to learn what happened.
The family said that since Willie has been home, everything
feels "complete again."
"We've been introducing him again to everybody,” David
Marks said, “but it's just like he never left.”
