It's a story of paying it forward and a great deal of chance.

Here more on the reunion between an owner and her dog just as she thought all hope was lost.

Just by looking at Coal, a 6-year-old Australian German Shepherd, you wouldn't be able to tell this is his first official day home since his great adventure.

An adventure that left him several miles from home for nearly three months.

"Unbelievable. I never thought he'd be back and never thought he'd be healthy. It's a dream come true," says Laura Clayton, who reunited with her dog late Sunday night.

When Clayton's home burned down several months ago, she and her husband moved to a new home near Greensboro, Florida.

While they were in the process of moving, they decided to get temporary foster homes for their nine show dogs.

That's when Coal went to live with a friend who lives on the Northwest side of Tallahassee and just days later Coal ran away.

Coal decided to make his new "home" under this palm tree, in this exact spot, watching and waiting for something or someone.

But heavy traffic speeding down Killarney way made the neighbors more than concerned.

"I was so worried about him because especially on Saturday night, the traffic is severe and I just thought he's going to get killed. So, I didn't sleep all night," says Lori McCall who helped feed Coal.

And just when Clayton finally lost hope, the strangest thing happened.

Her phone rang.

When those who had been taking care of Coal couldn't catch them, they randomly called Allied because it was the only Emergency Animal Hospital they could think of.

The crazy thing is, Allied just happened to be where Clayton was a vet at.

"So many people helped save his life and kept him going. I owe them all a lot," says Laura Clayton.

Coal's presence in Killearn Estates also brought neighbors together, including these two who lived across the street from each other for more than a decade, but who didn't meet until Coal's arrival.

"Serendipity all the way around. For the doggy, for us, for the neighbors."

Hard to believe how sixty pounds of love, fur and slobber can bring together a community like never before.

Clayton credits the Big Dog Rescue for Cole's safe return and says if it wasn't for the large trap they went out of their way to get, Coal might still be on the run.

Clayton stresses that owners should get their pet's a microchip because collars can fall off.

Big Dog Rescue says they haven't been able to purchase its own large trap because they cost between $600 to $800 dollars.

Big Dog Rescue says they currently have to borrow the large traps from Jefferson County Animal Control.

For more details about Big Dog Rescue, go to: http://www.bigdogrescue.com/