A coast guard helicopter spotted the dog Friday, adrift on the roof of a demolished house more than a mile off the tsunami-hit town of Kesennuma in Miyagi. But when a rescuer was lowered down to get it, the dog took off. It took several hours to catch the dog.
The rescue was broadcast on television. The owner of the 2-year-old mixed breed named Ban saw it and they were reunited at an animal shelter Monday.
Public broadcaster NHK aired images of the reunion with the woman hugging Ban and the dog warmly wagging her tail.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
