Sweet Surprises: Man Gets Best Friend "Snickers" Back

BLOOMINGTON--There's a big celebration at Central Illinois Regional Airport....

After spending months apart, Snickers the dog is seeing a long lost friend.

Until now, life for the little one has been a roller coaster.

Last year Snickers owner lost his job, and couldn't afford to keep him.

"He lost his home and he had to move to Washington because he had family there," explained Dorothy Martindale.

Martindale is a member of the Central Illinois Small Animal Rescue Shelter.

Snickers owner turned him over to shelter members for care, until he had the means to come back.

That day has finally arrived.

"Now he can afford to have Snickers, but he just can't afford to get here to get him, so me being a dog lover I had to do whatever I had to do to get Snickers to him," said Martindale.

Martindale and her mother helped pay for owner Casey Barger's trip back to Illinois.

From the moment he arrived at the airport, the pair acted as if they'd never been apart.

Barger says giving Snickers to the shelter was the hardest decision he'd ever made, but also the best.

"I'd write them letters to find out how he was doing, and the last letter I wrote they said we're bringing you home, and that was the happiest day I've had in a long time," said Barger.

Now that the duo's back together, Barger says, life's complete, and thanks these shelter members for making it that way.

"I will be eternally grateful that they gave me my child back, and I couldn't ask for more."

Now with his dog in tow, Barger looks forward to starting a new slice of life with Snickers by his side.