> At a Glance
> – A 1-year-old Chihuahua named Bella vanished from her Houston backyard on New Year’s Eve 2020
> – She turned up as a stray at Winnebago County Animal Services in Rockford, Illinois on Dec. 27, 2025
> – Volunteers traced her microchip and flew her home within five days
> – Why it matters: Microchips can bring lost pets home even after years and thousands of miles
Bella, a tiny Chihuahua who slipped out of her Houston yard on a rainy New Year’s Eve, has completed an unexpected five-year, 1,070-mile odyssey that ended with a tail-wagging airport reunion.
A Journey No One Expected
Bella escaped her family’s backyard on Dec. 31, 2020. Owner Sergio Torres, father of six, blanketed the city with flyers and knocked on doors, but found no trace of his pup.
Fast-forward five years: staff at Winnebago County Animal Services (WCAS) in Rockford, Illinois, scanned a stray Chihuahua and discovered she had a microchip registered to a Texas address.
Volunteers Rally for a Texas-Bound Flight
WCAS adoption coordinator Amber Pinnon describes Bella as “the happiest little Chihuahua you could meet”-confident, outgoing, and instantly affectionate.
Stephanie Hicks, executive director of Care for Pets, says the phone call to Torres initially raised suspicions.
> “Sergio, I think at first he thought it was kind of a scam. I think he was, like, a little bit skeptical initially about it.”
Within an hour, Care for Pets raised enough money for the return trip. A volunteer pilot offered a same-day flight, and Bella touched down in Houston on Jan. 2, 2026.
| Milestone | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Went missing | Dec. 31, 2020 | Houston, TX |
| Found as stray | Dec. 27, 2025 | Rockford, IL |
| Reunited with family | Jan. 2, 2026 | Houston airport |
A Tear-Filled Homecoming
Torres told Cleveland 19 the reunion “was a very emotional moment for everybody.”
> “Even she, when she first saw me, you could tell that she still recognized me a little. She was really attached to my oldest son, and when she saw my oldest son, she was reaching out her paw and everything.”
Pinnon believes the now 6-year-old dog remembered her people, predicting a smooth transition back into family life.
Key Takeaways
- Microchips remain the most reliable way to recover lost pets-even years later
- Community fundraising enabled a volunteer pilot to fly Bella 1,070 miles home within hours
- WCAS and Care for Pets coordinated across state lines to close a five-year gap
Bella’s cross-country trek ends where it began: curled up with the Torres family, proving that sometimes the best New Year’s surprise arrives a few days early-and a few years late.
