'Cooper' Found Wandering 17 Miles From Family's Home;
Microchip Beneath Skin Helped Reunite Him With His Owners
Christine Sloan
Jun 4, 2010 9:05 pm US/Eastern
Cooper, a Coton de Tulear that went missing four years ago, was picked up 17 miles away from his owner's home at a shelter. A microchip reunited him with his family after being away for so long
Islip, NY A beloved family dog that went missing four years ago was finally found thanks to microchip technology.
The Wicks family lost their tiny, white, furry dog named "Cooper" back in 2006. The Coton de Tulear was just a year-and-a-half old.
"I believe in miracles. But God needs a little help and the help was in the microchip," said Gwyenne Wicks, the matriarch of the family.
The Long Island family frantically posted fliers and sent out e-mails in hopes that someone might find their purebred, hypoallergenic dog. Those calls for help went unheard for years until last month.
Cooper was found wandering the streets 17 miles away from the Wicks' Lloyd Harbor home in Brentwood.
Joanne Daly, the supervisor of the Islip shelter that Cooper was brought to, said the tiny dog came in with matted fur, but was otherwise healthy.
Daly picked up a scanner in hopes of finding a microchip, and she did.
A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and was embedded in Cooper's skin between the shoulder blades. The transponder emitted a number that was decoded and displayed the dog's true owner.
It was an emotional reunion between Cooper and the Wicks family.
"She screamed out, 'Coopers back!'" said 8-year-old Michael Wicks.
His older brother, David, added: "I did not believe it. I said, 'That has to be the wrong dog.'"
There are few missing pet stories that have such a happy ending. After years of wondering where Cooper had gone to and if he was even alive, the Wicks family was ecstatic.
"There's always hope. And Cooper, we've been calling it the 're-cooperation' because he's been returned," Gwyenne said.
Someone must have taken care of the dog during those lost years because Cooper is now house trained and responds to commands.
The Wicks family believes Cooper was stolen because he was wearing a name tag and an electronic collar. They hope that their story will inspire others to get their pets micro-chipped.
Source: http://wcbstv.com/local/lost.dog.found.2.1733708.html
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