Princess, poodle

Woman reunited with dog missing since 2005
By Kelly Puente, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/12/2009 03:43:18 PM PST

Raquel Rodriguez receives a kiss from her poodle, Princess, the day after they were reunited following a nearly 5-year separation. Princess rejoins the family who now have another dog, 4-month old "Oreo."

LONG BEACH - When Raquel Rodriguez's puppy went missing in early 2005, the family checked nearby animal shelters and posted signs but eventually gave up hope.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez got a shocking call from a local animal shelter.

"They said, 'We found your dog,' and I was like, 'What dog?"' the 37-year-old mother of two recalled. "They told me it was a white poodle and I started shaking all over. That dog had been missing for four years."

Princess, a white toy poodle mix, was rescued by animal control officers this week after she was found wandering a busy intersection near Florence Avenue in Downey. The frightened poodle had no tags, but otherwise looked healthy and cared for.

An officer from Southeast Area Animal Control Authority, or SEAACA, scanned the dog using a hand-held device and found a microchip containing Raquel Rodriguez's name, phone number and Long Beach address.

"That's the miracle of a microchip," said Capt. Aaron Reyes, a spokesman for SEAACA. "It can be scanned and it will last the life of the dog."

When Rodriguez got over her shock, she immediately jumped in her car and headed down to the animal shelter. But scouring the cages filled with dogs, she soon realized that she was still picturing an 8-month-old puppy.

"I didn't know what to expect. I thought she would be much smaller. But when I saw her, I recognized her face," she said.

Princess, Rodriguez said, apparently recognized her too as the poodle jumped, licked her face and ran around in circles.

Giving up the dog was out of the question.

"I couldn't leave her after all this time," she said.

Rodriguez said her mother, who harbored guilt all these years after being the one who originally lost the dog, was also adamant that she keep her. The mother had been walking Princess without a leash in the city of Bell when the puppy ran ahead and was snatched by someone in a car.

How Princess made it from Bell to the city of Downey and where she's been for the past four years remain a mystery.

Reyes said SEAACA has seen similar cases - including a dog that had been missing for two years and was found in Texas - but none have been gone as long as Princess.

"This one passes the test of time," he said.

Reyes speculates that, since Princess was well cared for, someone likely adopted her thinking she was a stray and didn't bother to have her checked for a microchip.

Rodriguez, who originally adopted Princess as a tiny stray puppy, has now rescued the poodle twice.

Standing in front of her mother-in-law's Long Beach home on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the pooch seems happy to be back and rarely leaves her side. She said Princess is well-trained, sweet and looks like she might have had a litter of pups at one time.

"I feel bad because maybe there's another family out there who think they are missing a dog," Rodriguez said. "But I'm glad to have her back. She was a good dog then, and she's a good dog now."

Captain Reyes urged finders of lost pooches to have them checked for microchips at a nearby animal shelter. SEAACA, which serves the area cities of Bellflower, Downey, Lakewood, Norwalk, Paramount and Santa Fe Springs can also send officers to location.


Source: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_13773320