Losing a beloved pet can leave behind years of unanswered questions, especially when there is no way to know what happened to them. For Vanessa Antonino, that uncertainty lasted nearly 12 years after her Chihuahua, Flor, disappeared.

Antonino had no idea where Flor was or whether she was still alive. Even so, she never completely let go of the hope that their paths might cross again.

That hope eventually became reality when Flor was discovered in Indiana, and a microchip helped shelter workers trace her back to Antonino. After more than a decade apart, the Chihuahua was finally on her way home.

Flor went missing during a particularly difficult period in Antonino's life. The Evanston Animal Shelter's Canine Director, Tanya Ohanian, said that Antonino was living in and out of her car at the time and frequently brought Flor with her to work.

She didn't want to give up her dog, despite how difficult her circumstances had become. Then one day, Antonino returned to her car, and Flor was no longer there. "And then one day she went to her car, and the dog was just gone," Ohanian tells PEOPLE.

Finding a missing pet was especially challenging for Antonino because she had very little money or support. She looked for Flor but couldn't find her. The years that followed did little to erase the loss. Antonino continued wondering what had happened to her Chihuahua and later struggled with the thought that she might never see Flor again.

Ohanian recalled Antonino saying, "I had no money; I had no resources. Like I tried my best to find her, and I just like I couldn't find her." For years, there was simply no answer.

Almost 12 years after Flor disappeared, the Chihuahua was found in Indiana following severe weather. She was brought to the Griffith Indiana Animal Control & Shelter in Gary, where staff began working to determine who she belonged to.

The breakthrough came when shelter workers scanned Flor for a microchip.

Microchipping is particularly valuable when a pet becomes lost because the small implant contains an identification number that can be linked to an owner's contact information. Unlike collars and tags, which can fall off or become damaged, a microchip stays under the animal's skin. However, owners still need to keep their registration and contact details updated for the chip to be useful.

In Flor's case, the information connected to the microchip was outdated. Nevertheless, Antonino was found with the assistance of Microchip Hunters volunteers. After years of having no idea where her dog was, Antonino finally received the news she had been hoping for. Flor was alive.

The discovery led to Ohanian becoming involved in bringing Flor and Antonino back together. When Antonino finally saw her Chihuahua again, the emotions were overwhelming.

"I went and saw her. I just bawled. I broke down completely," she says.

After nearly 12 years of wondering about Flor, Antonino could finally see her with her own eyes. Flor, now an elderly Chihuahua, had made it back to the person who had spent years hoping she was safe.

For Antonino, the reunion brought an end to a chapter filled with uncertainty. The years they spent apart could not be recovered, but she finally had the chance to hold her dog again.

Flor's story is also a reminder of why pet owners are encouraged to microchip their animals and keep their registration information current. A collar can be lost, but a properly registered microchip can give a lost pet a much better chance of being reunited with their family.

After almost 12 years of uncertainty, Antonino finally got the answer she had been waiting for: Flor was alive and coming home. "The stars aligned for this," she says.