Lifestyle Pets Family Reunites with Missing Dog at Pet Adoption Event While Looking for New Puppy "And as soon as we walked in, she was right there," the family said of the amazing coincidence that brought Mocha the dog back into their lives By Kimberlee Speakman Kimberlee Speakman Kimberlee Speakman is a digital writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work has previously appeared in Forbes and she has also worked in broadcast television as a reporter for Hawaii-based news station KHON2 News. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 8, 2023 04:42PM EDT Close Photo: Animal Care Centers of NYC/Instagram A family from Queens, New York, who lost their dog in January got the surprise of their life when they found her at an adoption event in Manhattan. The family told NY Daily News that they stopped by the Animal Care Centers of New York City adoption event at Union Square Park on Sunday looking for a new puppy after losing their dog Mocha. The pet went missing in January after escaping while staying with a dog sitter. "We had enough time, and we decided to take a ride over there and take a look, not expecting to find Mocha. Just take a look to see if we could find a puppy. And as soon as we walked in, she was right there," Mocha's family told the outlet about how they ended up at the adoption event. Animal Care Centers of New York City (NYCACC) said in a video that the dog, renamed Sandy by the shelter, came to the Brooklyn ACC about a month ago after being found tied to a post near the ASPCA. The organization noted that shelter workers thought the canine had the temperament "of a true family dog." Houston Family Reunited with Dog Missing Nearly 2 Years After Pet Is Found Wandering Alone "We named her Sandy, and she quickly became a staff and volunteer favorite," Animal Cares Center volunteer Jay Damashek told the NY Daily News. She was one of the dogs put up for adoption at their Paws in the Park adoption event and sported a blue "adopt me" shirt for the occasion. "My wife says, 'Hey, that looks like Mocha,'" said one of the dog's owners, who did not want to be named. "I turn around, I take a glance, and I said, 'That is Mocha.' I called her name out, and she started jumping, perked her ears up to her name, and that was it. That was the end of it. She answered to her name." Animal Care Centers of NYC/Instagram The dog's pet parents, who share three children, a 6-year-old girl and two boys ages 10 and 11, said they knew immediately that they would bring Mocha back home — but they needed to show proof of ownership first. California Family 'Overjoyed' to Be Reunited with Dog Lost in Mudslide "After verifying the family's proof of ownership and witnessing Sandy's ecstatic reaction upon seeing them, we are so overjoyed to announce that Mocha has finally returned home," the NYCACC said in a video posted on Instagram. "She looked exhausted. She lost a lot of weight," the owner told the NY Daily News. "I was hoping she was okay, that's all I was hoping. She's not dead. Being that this is a pit bull, they're known to either use them for bait or fighting. I noticed that she wasn't used in any of that. She didn't have any scars or anything like that. That's definitely a relief." Mocha's family is ready to spoil her again now that they have been reunited. One of her owners noted that Mocha has many exceptional traits the family is happy to have back in their lives. Animal Care Centers of NYC/Instagram Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "She's overprotective," the pet parent said. "She obviously protects the family, protects the yard. She nibbles a lot. If you go to pet her, her number one thing is, she'll lay on her back. If you don't pet her belly, she'll start nibbling you. Pet the belly, not the neck, not the face, only the belly." "She's a very active dog. Loves swimming. Loves the water," they added.