DALLAS, N.C. – It is the miracle moment Dave Dowell feared might not come. Milka the service dog, lost for 25 days, finally found. Cell phone video captures the moment she creeps out of the woods and into the arms of her person. “It was surreal,” says Dowell.

July Fourth fireworks spooked Milka outside the Dallas Police Department. She ran off, and left Dowell in a panic for nearly a month. There were supposed sightings. A Facebook page. A professional search team. Reward money. But nothing panned out.

Until last Friday, around two AM, Dallas police officers saw Milka, and called Dowell immediately. Dowell says, “I think somebody had her and let her go.”

The miniature Doberman Pinscher mix first showed up on Dowell’s doorstep as a stray puppy, quickly proving she had the instinct and ability to help the Iraq War vet with his PTSD.

Dowell says, “For her to find me once? Holy crap, I’m blessed. To find me a second time…?” WCCB News @ Ten anchor Morgan Fogarty said, “It’s meant to be.” “Yeah,” says Dowell.

Milka is only a bit worse for the wear after her 25 day journey home. She lost five pounds and a tooth and gained a few fleas and ticks. She is a little skittish, but Dowell expects she’ll settle back into a routine. He wants to use that reward money on the Dallas Police Department. “We’re trying to find equipment they might need,” he says. And also wants this happy ending to raise awareness. Dowell says, “Some of the toughest wounds that veterans deal with are wounds that you don’t see.”

Dowell tells WCCB he and other local veterans still have to explain their service dogs to business owners. Federal law allows service animals access to any place the public would normally go.