Recently, a pair of neighbors in Compton, California, noticed a fuzzy black lump tucked between two trash cans on their street.

As they got closer to investigate, a tiny dog unfurled himself from his hiding spot and sprinted away.

They set some food out in hopes of luring the pup back. Hungry, the dog eventually returned to their street, but he refused to let them get close enough to catch him.

The dog seemed like a stray from his skittish behavior and stoic independence, but what they didn’t know was that he had a whole life before showing up on their street — one he was desperate to get back to.

The dog, whose real name is Marley, accidentally escaped from his loving home just a few weeks prior. And unbeknownst to him, his entire family was searching for him.

“He was gone for literally two months,” Suzette Hall, founder of Logan’s Legacy dog rescue, told The Dodo. “But his mom never gave up looking for him.”

While Marley’s family searched high and low for their beloved pup, the little guy remained on the same street where he’d initially been found.

“For two months, this tiny guy would wait for days at a time on a corner and then disappear,” Hall wrote in a Facebook post. “He didn’t have a home to go back to, but he knew kind people would feed him.”

After each snack, Marley would head right back to his spot on the street corner and wait for his mom to find him. Until the other day, when Hall got a call about the sweet boy.

The rescuer immediately drove to the neighborhood and found him exactly where she expected him to be.

“When I pulled up, there he was right by the trash cans,” Hall wrote. “Poor baby, his eyes looked so sad.”

Hall set a humane trap with delicious treats, and the hungry boy bolted toward them almost right away. Within moments, he was safe in Hall’s care.

She drove him to Camino Pet Hospital for a thorough checkup and posted his pictures on Facebook. She planned on finding the dog a forever home, but she learned the next day that he already had one.

Still on the hunt for their boy, Marley’s family scoured the internet for potential sightings. When they came across Hall’s post, they recognized their baby instantly.

Marley’s family drove to the pet hospital to reunite with their long-lost love. As soon as his mom walked through the door, Marley’s ears perked up.

“You should have seen him when he first saw her walk in,” Hall said. “It was as if he was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, it’s her.’”

After months of waiting, the little dog dove straight into his mom’s arms and covered her face with the wettest kisses.

Marley was finally back where he belonged, and he couldn’t have been happier.

“It was so sweet, you have no idea,” Hall said. “We were all crying so hard.”

Now, Marley spends his days snuggled up with his favorite humans and playing with all of his toys.

Once a temporary street dog, Marley’s finally back to living his best life again.

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