FORT WORTH, Texas — For many children, the holiday season is a time of joy and excitement. But for 7-year-old Gabino Torres, it wasn’t the gifts under the tree that brought him happiness this December, but a reunion with his best friend on four legs.
Gabino’s family has two beloved basset hounds, Porres and Lolita. These dogs aren’t just pets — they’re family members.
“It’s been special seeing how he wants to go play with and interacts with him,” said Gabino’s sister Patricia.
However, Sunday turned into a heartbreaking day when Gabino’s family received a call from neighbors saying the dogs had gotten out. Soon after, surveillance footage showed someone picking up Porres and putting him into a truck.
“The emotion that he displayed that day was… heartbreaking,” Patricia said about her brother.
Fort Worth police received a report about the missing dog around 12:40 p.m. that day. The family immediately took to social media, sharing photos and details in hopes of locating Porres. “We started posting all over social media, sharing with family, sharing that he was lost,” Patricia recalled.
On Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Patricia said she received a phone call that would end up being a miracle.
A Haslet animal shelter called with the news: Porres had been turned in by a good Samaritan.
“I just started bawling,” said Patricia.
But it wasn’t a special Christmas moment until they brought Porres home and surprised Gabino, who hugged his dog tightly. “I thought I wasn’t going to see him again because he was lost forever,” he said.
As the family celebrated Porres’ return, they also had more good news to share — Lolita, their other dog, is pregnant. “He came back just in time for the delivery,” Patricia said with a smile.
For the Torres family, the kindness of a stranger turned a heartbreaking situation into a joyful Christmas memory. “A Christmas miracle indeed,” Patricia said.