Pat Oates, 48, took a call saying her Staffordshire bull terrier had been found safe and well riding the Birmingham City Centre to Solihull route.
Mrs Oates and her three children had all but given up any hope of ever seeing their red Staffordshire bull terrier, T-Bone, after he was taken from their drive in September 2006 during a powercut.
They feared he had been stolen to order by gangs looking to use the good-natured dog as a weapon.
But after the 12-year-old dog was dumped after he developed a cyst, he got onto the No. 37 bus undetected.
It was only when the bus driver spotted him in his rear view mirror that he was taken to a bus depot, before being checked over by a local vet
