When 5-year old Natalie Villacis' parents told her that her beagle, Rocco, found his way outside of the family backyard fence in Queens, New York, Natalie was crushed at the thought that she would never see her dog again.

Now, 5-years later, Rocco returned home.

"When my mom told me they found Rocco, I cried hysterically - just like I did when they told me he was lost," Natalie told the New York Post.

"Every time I would see a dog on the street, I would say to my mom,"Maybe Rocco will come back", Natalie said. "She would say that he probably isn't going to come back. I would say,"I know, but maybe he will."

It turns out Rocco made his way south Hinseville, Georgia,some 815 miles away.

When Natalie's parents, Jorge and Cristina, heard the voice mail left by Randy Durrence of the Liberty County Animal Control, they thought the computer had made an error.

Jorge flew down to Georgia, and though he didn't quite recognize Rocco, was pleased to see that aside from a scratch on his ear, he was in perfect health.

"I don't think he recognized me, but I told him I loved him as much as always," she said. "Rocco seemed a little confused, but happy. He looked at me like, 'I don't know who you are, but I love you, too.' "

One of the first things she did was give Rocco his toy back.

Embracing Rocco, Natalie asked her mother, "Where do you think he has been all this time?"

"I don't know," her mother told her. "But if he could tell us, I'm sure he has more than enough material for a novel."