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Five years ago, as Hurricane Laura tore through Lake Charles, Louisiana, a 6-pound Yorkshire terrier named Kingston disappeared into the storm. But this isn’t your average lost dog story.
His owner, Debbie LaFleur, searched desperately, fearing the worst. Then, out of nowhere and half a decade later, he turned up somewhere no one expected — not in a shelter, not with a neighbor, but on the back porch of a college fraternity.
“I never thought I’d see him again,” LaFleur told KBTX. “Never.”
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In early April, Kingston, now 11 years old, was discovered lounging casually on the back steps of the Kappa Sigma house at the University of Southern Mississippi, wearing a red T-shirt like he’d just gotten back from tailgating.
“There’s just this Yorkie sitting there in a red T-shirt,” fraternity President Neal Rachal told CNN, still sounding a bit bewildered.
Kingston, an 11-year-old Yorkshire terrier missing for five years, sits on the deck of the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., in April. The dog was discovered by fraternity brothers and later reunited with his original owner in Louisiana. (Ashton Klink)
Naturally, the brothers took him in, named him “Benji” and treated him like one of their own. He had a full run of the house, shared their snacks and blended into the chaos better than some pledges.
“He’s like a member of the chapter right now,” Rachal told KBTX. “He’s done everything with us for the past week.”
But it didn’t take long for curiosity to take over. One of the brothers brought the mystery pup to get his microchip scanned. That’s when the truth came out. “Benji” was actually Kingston, and he was reported missing five years earlier in Lake Charles.
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In a photo provided by Ashton Klink, Kingston, a Yorkshire terrier missing since 2020, relaxes outside the Kappa Sigma house in Hattiesburg, Miss., before being identified by a microchip and returned to his family. (Ashton Klink)
“Years ago, Debbie had Kingston microchipped at University Animal Clinic in Lake Charles,” Dr. Sarah Guidry told KPLC. “That’s how a fraternity at the University of Southern Mississippi identified the pup. It worked great. Five years later, they found the dog, and it was still registered to the correct owner.”
Once the microchip gave them LaFleur’s info, the brothers emailed her.
Back in Louisiana, Debbie was at work when the message popped up.
“My heart started pounding,” she told KPLC. “Before I could call him, he called me. I told my boss, ‘I found Kingston! I found Kingston!’ And we both just started yelling and screaming.”
She and her son Jared wasted no time, hopping in the car and making the four-hour drive to Hattiesburg to get their pup. When they arrived, Kingston wasted no time either. He bolted toward Debbie, ears perked up like a tiny, fuzzy missile.
“We’ve never seen Benji run like that,” Rachal said, laughing in an interview with KPLC.
A side-by-side image shows Kingston, the Yorkshire terrier who was missing for five years. He was discovered by fraternity members in Hattiesburg, Miss., last month. He was later reunited with his owner in Lake Charles, La. (Ashton Klink)
It was a joyful reunion and an emotional one. Debbie told KBTX the moment was bittersweet because Kingston had belonged to both her and her late husband, who died in 2022.
“This was our dog,” she said. “He’s probably the one that made this happen.”
The Kappa Sigma brothers, for their part, were happy to play a role in the reunion and rather proud of their temporary house guest. Debbie praised them as “wonderful, wonderful guys” for taking Kingston in and doing the right thing.
“I’m so happy to have my baby back,” she told KBTX.
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It also says something about Yorkies. These little guys are tougher than they look. Kingston had apparently spent years dodging storms, traffic and whatever else the Gulf Coast threw his way, only to find a safe haven 300 miles away from Lake Charles on the porch of a bunch of college kids.
And just to keep things interesting, Kingston wasn’t quite done adventuring. Just days after making it home to Lake Charles, he pulled one last stunt, slipping away during a walk in the park.
This time, he recovered within an hour thanks to the help of a local reporter.
“Thank you so much, Brendan Brown, for all your help!” Debbie told KPLC, laughing. “It didn’t take us five years this time.”
Debbie Lafleur could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital.
