It’s always heartbreaking when a dog goes missing, but one family’s tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy after being reunited with their lost pet. Last May, a dog named Max disappeared from his home in Bexar County, Texas. His worried family searched everywhere, putting up signs throughout the neighborhood, hoping their dog would return. Flyers described Max as a mixed-breed dog who was “super friendly” and “very calm and sweet.” “We miss him dearly,” his family wrote.

Max was nowhere to be found, leaving his family worried sick — but that July, there was a break in the case.  Deputy Perez of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office got a call about a dog that was “found wandering in the neighborhood,” according to the department.  Arriving on the scene, Perez recognized the dog as one she had seen on the missing flyers around town. He contacted the family, and sure enough, the dog was Max, finally found after many weeks away from home!

Not only did Deputy Perez making the sweet reunion possible, he also got to witness the heartwarming moment the family’s children reunited with their pet.  Photos shared by the sheriff’s office show the family’s two little girls embracing Max, with one of them so overwhelmed with joy that she can’t hold back tears:

“Max and his family were reunited and as you can see on the children’s faces, they could not be happier,” the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office wrote.

The sweet story went viral on Facebook, with nearly 2,000 shares and hundreds of comments, many of which praised the deputy for making this sweet reunion possible. “That sweet, thankful face says so much!” one comment reads.  “To see these little girls face this is priceless!” another wrote. “These little critters have major impacts to our hearts.”  Thank you to Deputy Perez for helping to reunite Max with his worried family — it must’ve been some moment to see this emotional reunion in person, a reminder of the importance of pets in our lives and how important it is to get lost animals back to their families. Please SHARE this story with your friends and family.