FOLLOW-UP: Dog Found Five Days After Escaping Doggie Day Care

LOVES PARK - After being missing for five days, Dennis Dizon says he was about to give up hope on finding his lost Shiba Inu named, "Ava".  But it's a happy ending for the two year-old, 18 pound pup.

"She's probably in there, in heaven, waiting for me and I hope she'd be praying for me in there," said Dizon assuming his dog was left for dead.

But on Wednesday Dizon's luck would change; the two were reunited.

"I got a call from a woman that she had spotted a puppy near Fulton Avenue," said Dizon.

Ava was spotted nearly six miles from where she made her escape at the Dogwood Pet Resort on Mulford Road in Loves Park.  Fulton Avenue is on Rockford's west side, which had Ava miraculously crossing the Rock River and surviving.

After receiving the call, Dizon and his other dog "Inu" got into their car and drove from their townhome in Loves Park to the cemetery that borders Auburn Avenue and North Main Streets.  An hour of searching still produced no sign of Ava until Dizon spotted something.

"I just made a glimpse out of my side-view mirror and I just saw something that was inside the cemetery following me, not sure if it was following me or running," said Dizon.

But that "something" was Ava.  Dizon and Inu got out of the car and nervous Ava might run off again he kept his distance, but Ava was just happy to see her owner.  After seeing Ava wasn't scared, Dizon jumped the cemetery fence, put Ava on a leash and she was finally back in his arms.

Back at home, Ava is still a little skiddish of other people and animals, but overall she's just happy to be home with her brother Inu and her daddy Dennis.  Dennis is pretty happy too.

"I just thank God.  Prayers answered, you know?" said Dizon.

The last little miracle is that Ava was taken to the vet on Thursday and the doctors say she's 100% okay.  They say she was just a little hungry and tired.