A dog that had been living for over a year in a shelter with Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue was reunited with his former family. 

After 387 days in the Belleville animal rescue shelter, the dog called Ziggy had become the shelter's longest resident, according to the details related on the rescue agency's social media accounts. 

The staff knew that the dog was surrendered into shelter care when his owner had to enter long-term memory care. But the canine's story began long before that – it turns out that he was lost from a Dearborn Heights family about four years ago. And that's who eventually came to claim him.

"Over a year passed, and we couldn't understand how such a gentle, affectionate dog was still here," the staff said. 

"Shelter life wore him down. He barely lifted his head when people walked in. We tried everything to help him feel safe ... but he was waiting for something he couldn't name." 

A photo of the dog looking at Christmas tree ornaments that was circulating on Facebook as part of a shelter promotion to find new homes for their animals got in front of the right people. A message was sent to the shelter with the author saying Ziggy might actually be her dog Toby, who ran away four years ago. 

The shelter looked over photos she submitted of the dog as a puppy, showing the markings on his face and body. 

"She came to meet him," the shelter staff said. "Ziggy, who almost never wagged his tail, suddenly did. There was no doubt he was hers." 

With that, Ziggy went back to a family that had never forgotten him, and called him Toby.  

"There wasn't a dry eye in the building," the staff said.