‘Best day of my life’: woman reunites with golden retriever who was lost during car crash

There’s no worse feeling than when a pet goes missing, but there’s nothing better than the moment they finally return home.

That was the case for one woman, whose beloved golden retriever went missing after a car crash last week — but had the “best day of [her] life” when the dog was finally found.

On March 4, Hannah Smith of Indianapolis was driving home from a friend’s house, with her 4-year-old golden retriever Gunner in the backseat, according to WRTV.

But unfortunately Hannah collided with another vehicle: “My car kind of spun out and it flipped,” she recalled to WRTV. While Hannah reportedly only had minor scrapes from the accident, she realized with horror that Gunner was gone.

She suspects that the golden retriever was scared off from the accident and escaped through a broken window. Hannah could not find him anywhere, and was worried for his safety and wellbeing.

“I have raised him through and through,” Hannah said, saying she raised him from a 5-week-old puppy. “He’s just a ball of lovingness as every Golden retriever is and he’s a big scaredy cat, most importantly. I know if he’s alive, he is petrified, he cries and screams if I take him in a car wash.”

Making the situation even more serious, Gunner was without the medication he was prescribed after undergoing surgery two weeks ago.

Hannah shared Gunner’s story on social media and placed flyers around the area. She received help from locals in the community, but days passed with no sign of Gunner.

But then, her luck turned around. According to a Facebook post from Hannah on Sunday, a woman found Gunner hiding under a downed tree while walking her dogs. She wrote that Gunner was “safe and exhausted.”

“The best day of my life!” Hannah wrote, thanking all the people who helped her search for Gunner: “Thank you all from the bottom of my soul.”

Hannah told WRTV that thankfully Gunner was “not seriously hurt,” although he was dirty and had minor scrapes. She said she gave him a bath and his medication, and that he’s now resting easy after his adventure.

“He’s going to sleep great!” she said.