Two years may be a long time for a dog, but love proved stronger than time for one lucky canine, reunited with her owner after two years at the Island Sanctuary animal shelter.

As the shelter celebrated its annual open day fundraiser yesterday, volunteers shared the heartwarming story of Zoya, who came to the Island Sanctuary after six years with her family.

Zoya is reunited with Jonathan at the Island Sanctuary animal shelter. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

With a new baby on the way, the family was worried about how the dog, fiercely protective of her bed and toys, would react to the new arrival and made the decision to give her away.

“We took Zoya very reluctantly,” Island Sanctuary chairwoman Claire Gafà told the Times of Malta. “She was heartbroken: she was always crying, stopped eating and hardly trusted any of the volunteers.”

But two years down the line, when the family’s adult son, Jonathan, bought his own house, his thoughts returned immediately to Zoya, and last month he returned to the shelter to find his dog.

Although the shelter usually has concerns about returning dogs to owners who gave them away and insists on a homing procedure to establish a bond, in this case Zoya made her feelings amply clear.

“He didn’t even have time to turn the corner: she smelled him immediately and started barking,” Ms Gafà said. “As soon as she saw him, she went absolutely crazy and started jumping all over him.”

Although dog and owner are now happily reunited, Ms Gafà said there were often fewer happy endings for dogs that found themselves separated from their families due to a new birth.

“It’s a very common excuse for getting rid of a pet,” she said. “There are plenty of trainers available to help a dog to be comfortable around children, and very often dogs become very protective of babies. Obviously, you shouldn’t leave them unsupervised. You have to be equally careful about a child accidentally harming a dog.”

For the sanctuary, which relies on volunteers and donations and provides homes for abandoned and injured dogs, yesterday’s event served to raise funds to cover running expenses.

The open day included family activities and a Mass, for which people were invited to bring their animals with them, followed by a blessing of the pets.

Donations to the Island Sanctuary can be made by SMS to 50617368 (€2.33), 50618082 (€4.66) or 50618935 (€6.99).