Dallas, Texas - Alden Cuevas and her brother were convinced they'd never see their childhood dog again when he suddenly disappeared. But fate had a happy – if bittersweet – twist in store!

Alden Cuevas and her brother Jackson loved hanging out with their stepfather's dog, Shiloh, when they were young.

But then both the dog and her owner suddenly disappeared.

"One day, they just never came back, and we never knew where they ended up. We had assumed she'd passed away years ago" Alden told Newsweek.

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Then, in May 2024, the Texan stumbled across a mugshot of her stepfather on social media, and then discovered that someone was working to place 15 malnourished dogs – including her beloved Shiloh!

Alden didn't hesitate and set off on a seven-hour drive to rescue the old pooch.

"She had been abandoned in a warehouse for six days with no food or water," she explained.

The woman wondered if Shiloh would recognize them after seven years of separation – it turned out she needn't have worried!

When Alden arrived at the warehouse where Shiloh was being kept, the miraculous reunion got the perfect ending.

"She recognized me instantly once she smelled me," she said. "I feel like she knows she's home and she held out hope her family would come save her."

Alden wasn't the only one overcome with emotion. Her brother Jackson also shed a tear.

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Unfortunately, the siblings quickly realized something was wrong with their long-lost dog.

"When we rescued her, we immediately noticed she was breathing quite heavily," Alden revealed.

A vet delivered the terrible news: Shiloh has cancer and was given just six months to live.

Despite the dire diagnosis, the pair want to make sure Shiloh gets the perfect send-off: "She will pass away in our arms surrounded by people who love her and missed her."