WATCH — Georgia Dog Missing Since 2017 Found in West Virginia: ‘This Is Our Baby’

A woman near Atlanta, Georgia, whose pit bull named Chief disappeared in 2017 recently got the surprise of her life.

Tara Hillis’ dog went missing when he was one-and-a-half years old after he either jumped her fence or dug his way out, WSAZ reported Wednesday.

Although she tried to find him, years went by with no luck and it seemed the pup was lost forever.

“His name is chief and is very friendly. He is chipped n wearing camoflauge collar and should have ID tag w info. Last seen w blonde haired lady in waffle house parking lot. Plz plz la return him. This is our baby,” Hillis wrote in a social media post on June 18, 2017.

Video footage shows her beloved dog resting on the couch at the time:

Hillis lost all hope and recalled, “Initially, I thought maybe someone took him to try to breed him, but he’s fixed. So many years go by, you just really miss him.”

However, things took a drastic turn when individuals found Chief on Saturday wandering by himself at East Lynn Lake in West Virginia.

The persons transported the dog to the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Control Shelter located in Huntington where he was kept safe.

The dog’s chip revealed Hillis’ contact information, and the woman was in total shock when she learned her dog had been found after such a long time.

“I can’t believe this. This is insane. Every time I’d talk about it that day, I’d get chill bumps,” she commented.

Meanwhile, a shelter employee has offered to transport the dog halfway on the journey home which could take place on Monday, per the WSAZ report.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, shelters and veterinary clinics scan lost animals for microchips.

The group noted that “a study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters in 23 states showed that microchipped animals are far more likely to be returned to their owners.”