Austin the 'Fly N Lion' Reunited with Owner; Back in Venice

Austin, the cute little dog who performed for years in Venice Beach as "Fly-N-Lion," has been reunited with his owner after disappearing more than 18 months ago from Venice.

Austin was recently found in central California after his microchip was scanned. His owner, Johnny Mitchell, was notified June 8 and a reunion that seemed unlikely was set in motion.

Mitchell had been back in his native Louisiana helping family, but returned to California to be re-united Thursday with Austin. Patch caught up briefly with an exhausted Mitchell on Thursday night in Venice and he said that Austin was resting comfortably with his sire, Brandy Rebel Jr., at a friend's place in Marina del Rey and had not yet been back on the beach.

, after last being seen on Windward Avenue near the Venice Beach boardwalk. The duo had been performing together in Venice Beach and on television and had traveled around the world to perform their special skateboard and snowboard tricks before Austin disappeared.

The mohawk-wearing Mitchell said it was really hot on the Visalia field across from an animal medical center where he and Austin were re-united Thursday and the reunion didn't work out as planned.

"I set it up so he would run to me from across the field," Mitchell said Friday. "But it was so hot, he ran to the shade from the only tree on the whole field. He was distracted by Brandy and the heat. It's not exactly how I pictured it in the movies with people running half-speed toward each other."

Once they went inside, cooled down and locked eyes, Austin and Mitchell started getting closer and closer. Austin eventually struck poses on Mitchell's forearm in one of their signature moves, but the heat prevented more tricks from being performed.

A woman who found Austin in Venice broke up with her boyfriend about a month ago in Bakersfield and she left Austin with her mother in Visalia, Mitchell said. The mother took Austin in for grooming and the pooch got a little nick on his leg that he kept licking. When Austin was taken to a veterinarian to get checked out, the microchip was discovered.

Mitchell said he never gave up hope that Austin would be found.

"I had no choice but to remain hopeful," Mitchell said. "I had times where it was weighing heavy. The night before I got the call I was praying hard and I got the call the next day."

Mitchell was preparing Friday afternoon to take Austin out to the Venice Beach boardwalk for the first time since their reunion.