Aproximately one third of pets end up getting lost and one point or another in their lives and sadly only 1 in 10 end up being found and returned to their homes. One of the ways to increase the chances of finding your lost pet is having your beloved furry family member microchipped. Meet seven lucky dogs and their happy owners, who were reunited thanks to the pet having that vital microchip.
Dora
A much-loved German Shepherd named Dora was living the good life with her family in Frisco, Texas. On the night of July 4, 2012, the loud boom of fireworks frightened her enough that Dora jumped the fence surrounding her backyard. Her distraught family searched day after day, and although they never completely gave up hope, as the weeks and then months went by they feared their chances of ever locating her were fading when Dora got her miracle. Picked up as a stray 18 miles away in McKinney Texas, the local shelter scanned Dora and found a microchip with her family’s contact information. Hesitant at first, it took only minutes for Dora to realize that after seven long months, she was finally going home.
Lily
A mom living in Kent, England, and her young daughter and son were desperate when their family dog Lily simply disappeared from their garden the day before her first birthday. Springing into action, they checked shelters and posted pictures of the black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Many sad weeks passed with no news or sightings of this beloved family pet. Nearly 22 months later, the surprising call came: Lily had been picked up as a stray. Her microchip information enabled her owners to be traced. In a heart-melting meeting the young dog raced to her mom, bathing her face in puppy kisses, their mutual joy obvious. Lily’s happiness didn’t dim on her return home as she checked out every room with tail-wagging delight, and finally she had the biggest moment of all, reuniting with the two children who had been missing her so much and for so long.
B.A.
The animal shelter in Durham, North Carolina sees a lot of strays come in, but B.A.’s story stands out. Some pet owners find their lost animal right away, while others are never seen again. Shelter personnel insist that B.A. had an angel watching over him for the long 7 years he was missing. Picked up as a stray, he was favoring one leg and had possibly been in an accident. In the course of the medical exam, B.A. was scanned for a microchip and the shelter found his contact information, complete with his owner’s name and phone number. Lost in the town of Raleigh when he bolted in fear during a thunderstorm, his worried owner waited all night for his return. It never happened. Fast-forward seven years and B.A.’s owner is now living in Arizona when he gets the unexpected call he believes to be nothing short of a miracle. B.A. had just one more leg left in his long journey, and was flown to his home in Arizona.
Max
A little poodle named Max had a long separation and undoubtedly many adventures before being picked up as a stray by Animal Humane of New Mexico. When the shelter got Max, his fur was matted and it was obvious he’d been living in some pretty rough terrain. Because Max was microchipped, the shelter was able to locate the woman who owned him, a former college student from the area who had moved to Dallas during the time since Max went missing. Max was found about 60 miles south from where his previous home was located. Shelter personnel agreed to meet the relieved owner halfway, driving Max to a reunion two years in the making, all thanks to the information coded on his microchip.
Charlie
Little Charlie somehow broke free from his chain in the backyard of his Fort Wayne, Indiana home and his worried family scoured their neighborhood, posting fliers and searching everywhere for the lost Sheppard mix. Turned in anonymously overnight 6 months later, personnel at the local animal care shelter don’t know where Charlie had been or why someone chose to drop him off. Scanning the dog for a microchip did tell them his name, and provided them with owner contact information. Much to the delight of the Thompson family and to Charlie, there’s a happy ending. Because of that microchip, Charlie is safely home.
Bandit
Indianapolis resident Mike got his Shih Tzu Bandit as a puppy 10 years ago. One day Bandit became agitated in his crate, so Mike let him out to play in the yard. His last sight of Bandit was of the little dog being put in a car by a stranger who quickly sped away. Despite getting the car’s license number, Mike was never able to recover his dog. Five years later, a local non-profit was having an event highlighting animal welfare issues. They had received a stray Shih Tzu and scanned it for a microchip. Within 10 minutes of getting this most unexpected phone call an emotional Mike arrived at the event and was moved to tears when he was finally able to hold the little dog he thought was lost forever.
Koda
It was a long two months for the Roberts family of Rogers, Arkansas, after 9-year-old Pomeranian Koda went missing. The family continuously searched their neighborhood and blanketed the area with posters, but they were having no luck locating their much-loved and desperately missed pet. 1300 miles away in San Diego, Animal Services received a dog that went through normal input procedures and was scanned for a microchip. Nobody knows how Koda ended up halfway across the country but the chip provided the information necessary for her to be reunited with her ecstatic family. The Foundation for Care of Indigent Animals footed the bill to fly Koda home.
Even if you have a microchip in your pet it’s a good idea to ask your vet to scan the chip at every check-up to make sure it’s still reading, and to determine if it’s still where it should be which is on the back near the shoulder blades. Microchips can sometimes migrate in the body.
The world can be a scary and cruel place for a lost dog. The lucky ones end up in a shelter where they have a second chance for a loving home. The very lucky ones have owners who cared enough to have a microchip implanted, increasing the chances that their beloved dog will make it back home.
