Remember "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey"? The movie told the tale of two dogs and a cat who got separated from their owners and were forced to trek through the wilderness to get back home. They fought porcupines, fat animal control employees and - worst of all - random holes in the ground. In true family movie fashion, the trio overcame all the obstacles to make it back to their family.
It's time to forget about the adventures of Chance, Sassy and Shadow because a dog named Max has taken their fictional tale and stomped it to irrelevance with his tiny Maltese paws.
Max, who was reported stolen by a family in Brandon several months ago, recently showed up in Chicago.
The dog was identified using an implanted microchip, picked up by a Maltese rescue group based in Racine, Wis., and flown back to Florida Saturday.
If this isn't a feel-good story, we don't know what is. Everyone likes dogs; how could you not root for this one?
We don't know if we could survive on our own in Chicago for months. It boggles our minds that a dog weighing less than 10 pounds could make it all the way to the Windy City, much less survive and get back home.
We doubt a Maltese's ability to rely on its hunting skills - they're pocket-sized. All we can guess is Max either found the most generous Italian restaurant in Chicago and lived off leftover spaghetti a la "Lady and the Tramp," or he developed a taste for beetles.
We're glad to see a story about a lost dog that isn't just a cover-up for your dad backing the Mazda over little Sparky.
Congratulations, Max.
