Dog Jackson – stolen from Aldinga Beach – reunited with owner Madellen Dawson after two years

“Don’t give up hope” – two years after he was stolen, Jackson the dog has been returned to his owner. See the heartwarming moment they were reunited.

After her dogs were stolen two years ago, Madellen Dawson had started to think she would never see them again.

Ms Dawson’s pitbulls were stolen from her Aldinga Beach backyard in 2019 and had disappeared without a trace.

But last week, now eight-year-old Jackson was spotted at the Christies Beach IGA as a woman tried to give him away.

With the help of Facebook page Lost Dogs of Adelaide, Jackson was collected from the woman and finally reunited with Ms Dawson.

“It was surreal, I didn’t believe it and I didn’t believe that it was really going to happen,” Ms Dawson said.

“I was winded, it was overwhelming and it was such a shock.

“I didn’t know how to react and neither did Jackson, it was like he was thinking ‘Mum, is that you?’”

Madellen Dawson makes up for lost time with Jackson. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Ms Dawson and her family believe Jackson and Shelby – who was just four months old – were stolen and used to breed on a puppy farm.

She said Jackson’s health was “atrocious” when he finally returned home.

“He’s lost a lot of weight, he’s got a lot of scars on him that he never had and he’s a little shellshocked and he’s a bit confused still,” she said.

“For the first few days every time he had a nap he would wake up and look for me and I think he thought he was dreaming.

“I don’t think he ever forgot home and we never forgot him.”

The family are still hopeful that they will eventually be reunited with Shelby who would now be two years old.

Ms Dawson encouraged anyone who had lost a pet to hold on to hope.

“Don’t give up hope, miracles do happen,” she said.

“It’s incredible, if you’d tried to tell me this even a month ago that this would happen I would’ve called you a liar.”