Mikayla, huskey

Dog reunited with family two years after being stolen
By Todd Dunn, Video Journalist
Nov 30, 2011

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. - A Mid-State family was reunited with their family dog two years after it was stolen from their backyard thanks to the help of a Good Samaritan and a microchip.

"She was in a cage, in a big kennel and someone cut the lock and cut off her collar and she was just gone," recalled Alison Murphy.

Charlie Murphy added, "You don't know what to think, you think, ‘Why would someone take someone else's dog?' It is like kidnapping a kid almost, you know."

The family told Nashville's News 2 they purchased their white husky, Mikayla while living in Tampa, Florida and soon had their four-legged family member microchipped.

After Mikayla was stolen the family said they searched everywhere imaginable in an effort to locate their pet.

"We drove miles [and] many, many miles. [We] had friends help us driving and every time someone would see a husky they would stop and go back," Alison said.

After six months of searching the Murphy's gave up hope on finding Mikayla, however, on Wednesday the family received a phone call from the Macon County Hospital saying that a man had found the dog.

The man who found Mikayla said she was thin and underfed when he found her.

"He had her for six weeks and said yesterday he had a dream that he thought she might have a chip in her and [he] took her to the vet," Charlie said, adding, "He finally had time and they scanned her and sure enough that's when the hunt began."

The Murphys' said despite having Mikayla microchipped they had not updated the information when they moved to Tennessee.

The Macon County Hospital was able to contact the family since they had information on their other family pet.

"I actually called them and the gentleman answered the phone and said, ‘Oh my gosh. That is our dog,'" Cassie Dyer said.

The family said they are thrilled to be reconnected with their beloved dog.

"When we first saw her she came right over and was licking on us and laid down to rub her belly," Alison Murphy said.

Veterinarian officials remind pet owners of the importance of maintaining current information with microchip companies after moving or changing contact information.

Source: http://www.wkrn.com/story/16159537/dog-reunited-with-family-two-years-after-being-stolen
Video at: http://www.wkrn.com/story/16159537/dog-reunited-with-family-two-years-after-being-stolen?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6503582