published Saturday, June 11th, 2011
by Karen Nazor Hill
Kenny Stackman was heartbroken when his dog ran away in November 2005.
Stackman, a Miami resident, and his rescued best friend, Brandy, a cocker spaniel mix, had just arrived in Hixson to spend Thanksgiving with relatives. Within minutes of getting out of the car at his cousin’s house, Brandy broke from her leash and bolted.
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| Brandy, a Cocker Spaniel mix, went missing in November 2005 when owner Kenny Stackman was visiting Hixson for Thanksgiving. Stackman searched for the dog, but was unable to locate her. Five-and-a-half years later, Brandy was put up for adoption by his "new" owners, and was taken in by the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption center, where her RFID chip pointed to her Miami owner |
“She got scared when my cousin hugged me,” Stackman said. “Brandy darted out into the dark.”
For the next few days, Stackman and his family looked everywhere for Brandy. He contacted the Humane Educational Society here, put out fliers and drove through the community looking for his dog.
“I drove home alone and wasn’t so happy,” he said. “Brandy had been mistreated when I got her, so she was afraid of people, except for me.”
Fast-forward 5-1⁄2 years. On April 29, Stackman got a message that his dog had been taken in by McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center in Hixson. His contact information was stored in Brandy’s HomeAgain microchip.
“I was told that Brandy had been in a loving home [and that] the person who brought Brandy into the center had to give her up,” he said. “I thank him from the bottom of my heart for taking good care of her.”
Karen Walsh, executive director of the McKamey Center, said animals brought in for adoption there are routinely scanned for microchips, which are about the size of a grain of rice and cost from $25 to $80.
“We call it an ID for life,” she said. “The process is lifelong. A collar can be changed.”
Walsh said the family that had taken Brandy in here had never exposed the dog to vet care that might have detected the microchip ID.
Stackman soon made the trip from Miami to Chattanooga to reclaim Brandy, and the two immediately rebonded, he said.
“She is wonderful,” he said. “I rescued another dog after Brandy went missing. They get along like sisters.”
The only surprise, he said, was that Brandy had doubled in weight from the last time Stackman saw her.
“Back in 2005, she was about 30 pounds. When I got her a few weeks ago, she weighed about 65 pounds,” Stackman said. “She looks like a little pig, but I’m so happy to have her back.”
Source: http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jun/11/lost-dog-reunited-owner-after-more-5-years/
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ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE STORY, FROM
http://foundpets.homeagain.com/brandy-found-in-tn-after-5-years-missing.aspx
Brandy Found In TN After 5 Years Missing
Ken, North Miami Beach, FL
5/3/2011
I went to visit family in Chattanooga, TN during Thanksgiving of 2005 from Miami, FL. I had just adopted Brandy, a cocker mix, about 2 months prior to the trip. She was fine on the road in the car.
When we arrived, she freaked out by the greetings and hugs. She pulled her head out of her collar and ran from the front of the house. It was dark so she disappeared immediately.
We went walking and driving around the neighborhood, looking for her and calling her name. I left notices with the humane society and the local animal clinic. I spoke to neighbors and no one had seen her.
After two days, we were not able to find her, and I returned home to Miami. I made flyers with her photo and contact information and mailed them to some of the local businesses to post by their doors or registers.
I received a few calls, but none of them was for my dog.
On April 29, 2011, I received a call from an animal care center in Chattanooga that a dog was found and the HomeAgain chip had my contact information. I returned the call to find out the dog had been found several years ago and was wonderfully cared for all these years.
The person who brought Brandy into the center had no choice and had to give up the dog last week. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for taking good care of her.
If I knew who had her all this time and how much she was loved, and if he was able to keep her, I would leave her in good hands.
Now I am making a return trip to Chattanooga to reclaim her and bring her back to a loving home that she deserves.
When I adopted her in 2005, I was told that she appears to have been mistreated by previous owners. She was very shy and fearful at first, but she was just getting comfortable with me when she darted out into the darkness over 5 years ago.
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