The search is over: Dog turns up a year after gas explosions

A dog that disappeared after the chaos of the natural gas explosions and fires in Massachusetts a year ago is back in the arms of its owner.

In this Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 photo provided by Altagracia Baldera, Baldera poses with her dog Virgo in North Andover, Mass. [Photo: Altagracia Baldera via AP]

Altagracia Baldera tells The Eagle-Tribune that when the explosions shook the Merrimack Valley in September 2018, she evacuated her North Andover apartment and went to her sister's house in Lawrence.

On her second day there, her 14-year-old Pekingese-Shih Tzu mix named Virgo bolted out the door. She informed animal control and put posters up.

Then a few days ago, some boys found a small, shaggy dog on the street and reported it to police.

Baldera and Virgo, who was microchipped, were reunited Tuesday.

She thinks someone took Virgo in because she doesn’t believe he could have survived the winter outside.