Like Lassie’s tearful reunion with Roddy McDowell at the end of Lassie Come Home, Quint—the Brittany spaniel whose been missing since Jan. 21—was reunited with his owner Monday morning.

A reader forwarded the notice of the missing Oak Lawn Brittany spaniel that was posted on the Lost Dog Illinois Facebook page last Monday. The notice, however, didn’t have a picture of the missing pooch, so we called Don Moust to see if we could help.

“Everything was due to Patch,” Moust said. “I’m not computer literate. It was all due to you helping crop pictures and getting them on the Lost Dogs Facebook page.”

Within minutes of posting last week’s story about the missing pooch, Moust said he received a call from a man who spotted Quint at 127^th Street and Kedzie.

“His girlfriend had emailed him the story,” Moust said. “As he was reading it he looked up and saw Quint.”

The man called Moust and together, they looked for Quint, who by that time had taken off, for over an hour.

People who had seen Quint’s story on Patch and Lost Dog Illinois phoned in with numerous sightings of the dog, who was spotted in Blue Island, Mt. Greenwood, St. Casmir’s Cemetery and Mt. Olivet.

Whenever Moust got a call, he’d take his Golden Retriever, Della, and they’d go out and search for Quint.

“I tried to use dog sense,” Moust said. “I’ve looked at more railroad tracks and power lines this week.”

There were no more reported sightings after last Wednesday. By Sunday, after a sleepless week and hours spent driving around the Oak Lawn area, Moust was beginning to give up hope.

“I was so tired I was driving like I was drunk,” Moust said. “I came to the conclusion that maybe Quint wasn’t supposed to be my dog.”

This morning (Monday), Moust contacted Cook County South Suburban Animal Control. The person at animal control told him that officers were chasing “a brown cocker spaniel” near 159^th Street and Harlem Avenue.

“It didn’t sound like Quint, but I thought if I could save someone else’s pet, I would drive over there,” Moust said.

Within moments of arriving at the Tinley Park-Oak Forest border, Moust saw Quint walking down the middle of the street. Moust stopped his car and called for the dog. Skittish and confused, Quint took off.

“I said, ‘Quint, please come to me,’” Moust said.

The dog recognized his owner and came to Moust, and a horrible week ended happily.

Quint doesn’t appear worse for wear. Moust said the dog was “very skinny.” Moust is also likely to bring Quint and his other dogs to Pet Supplies Plus in Oak Lawn on Feb. 19 where Spay Illinois is offering $10 pet microchips.

“If I could get Quint to swallow a LoJack, I would,” Moust said.