Famous dog's Instagram followers help reunite lost pet with owner

MIAMI BEACH -- A half-blind, aging chihuahua has been reunited with her owner following a rescue by an animal lover who likely saved her from being run over.

Earlier this week, Micha Porat found 13-year-old Osita wandering alone in South Beach, reports CBS Miami.

“The dog was in the middle of the street, looking scared and confused,” he said. “The cars were driving by and I was wondering what would a dog be doing in the middle of the street?”

His fatherly instinct kicked in.

Porat pulled over on the side of the road and with the help of other good Samaritans, was able to carry Osita to safety and back home with him, in hopes of finding her owner.

At home, Osita was given a bath and introduced to a new friend, Porat’s dog named Gomi.

“My dog fell in love with her,” he said. “It was pretty cute. They got along really well, actually.”

But Gomi is no ordinary dog. He’s “insta-famous” with more than 80,000 followers on Instagram. It’s thanks to him and his popularity that Osita was able to reunite with her owner. Porat posted a picture of Gomi and Osita together, along with videos, and shared her story with Gomi’s thousands of followers.

The power of social media worked. Someone recognized Osita, who is partly deaf and suffering from cataracts.

Gustavo Briand was going crazy looking for his little dog. Two days earlier, he said she jumped out of his car and simply ran off. Briand tried the regular approach with posters in the area, but soon steered his search toward the internet.

“The power of social media. One of my friends saw her on somebody else’s page, I don’t know who it was. But I ended up connecting with Micha,” he said. “Somehow, in my heart, I knew she was okay. It’s a love story!”