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

T-bone, staffordshire terrier

It's a doggone miracle: Family's shock as pet pooch stolen five years ago is found... riding a No.37 bus
Staffie T-Bone was found on the Birmingham City Centre to Solihull route; microchip scan enabled him to be returned to his long-lost owner
By Andy Dolan
29th November 2011

When Pat Oates's dog vanished from the driveway five years ago she soon gave up hope of seeing the pet again.

As the days went by without any sighting of seven-year-old T-Bone, Miss Oates concluded the Staffordshire bull terrier had been stolen.

So she was astonished and overjoyed to be told last week that the dog had been found five years on – riding on her local bus.

Rover's return: Pat Oates (pictured with relatives) was stunned when she received a call saying her beloved Staffordshire bull terrier, T-Bone, had been found riding the Birmingham City Centre to Solihull route

The bus driver took the animal to a local veterinary surgery, where staff were able to reunite Miss Oates with her long-lost pet, now aged 12, after scanning his microchip.

Yesterday Miss Oates, 48, a delivery driver, said: 'We couldn't believe it when we got the phone call. I thought the vet was winding me up. I broke down crying. I wanted to get there as soon as I could.

'He vanished from the driveway in 2006. We put up posters and made some appeals in the press, but didn't have any luck.

'T-Bone is like one of our children. When he went missing, I couldn't sleep - it was a nightmare. The whole family was upset.

'We're over the moon to have him back, we thought he was gone for good.'

The mother-of-three, who lives with partner Tony Wellington, 50, near Solihull, West Midlands, said it was a mystery how the dog came to be travelling on the number 37 bus, operated by Travel West Midlands. The bus travels between Birmingham City Centre and Solihull.

But she said it was no surprise he had been found on a bus, as the dog always enjoyed going on car journeys with the family.

She added: 'No one saw who T-Bone was with. We will try to see if there's CCTV on the bus, but the trouble is the person could claim they'd only just picked him up.'

Home again: Pat Oates, from Solihull, West Midlands is delighted to have T-Bone back. Right, she holds the poster after her pet went missing in 2006 - when she feared T-Bone had been stolen to order by a callous gang looking to use him as a ferocious weapon

Miss Oates said T-Bone had been neglected and was suffering with a cyst on his leg and hearing trouble.

'The vet said to let him settle in first, but he will need treatment in future. It's a small price to pay, we are just glad to have him back,' she said.

Miss Oates, who has daughter Kelly, 28, and sons Elliot, 18 and Matthew, 25, from a previous relationship, says she plans to spoil T-Bone rotten this year.

'We have bought him a collar, as he didn't have one. He likes squeaky toys and balls. He likes pigs trotters, so we will get him some for this year.'

After five years without a dog, the family were reunited with T-Bone just a month after Miss Oates bought Mr Wellington a new puppy, Wrinkle, also a Staffordshire bull terrier, as a 50th birthday present.

Leigh Fisher, of 608 Vets, in Birmingham, where the dog was taken by the bus driver, said the case illustrated how important it was for owners to get pets microchipped.

'It also highlights the importance of taking any stray animal to a vet to have them scanned before choosing to adopt them,' she said.

'There may be a worried owner out there somewhere praying for their pet's safe return.'

Pat Oates and T-Bone after being reunited. Pat still had the dog's leash, five years later

According to the Dogs Trust, since microchipping was first introduced in 1989, more than four million dogs and cats have been fitted with a device.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2067132/Dog-miracle-Familys-shock-pet-pooch-stolen-years-ago--37-bus.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Lilly, yellow lab

Missing Vermilion dog reunited with owners
By Megan Rozsa, Morning Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

VERMILION — A yellow Labrador that had been missing since Friday was finally home yesterday with her rightful owners.

The 3-year-old dog, Lilly, was in the back of Greg Butchko's truck when he made a quick stop at Quaker Steak & Lube in Vermilion on Friday night. He was in the restaurant for 10 minutes and came out to find his dog missing.

The Butchko family made fliers and hung them around town, offering a $250 reward for her return. Butchko said companies in Lorain County raised the award gradually, making the total $1,000.

"The Lorain County residents came to bat completely," he said. "Everyone offered to add money toward the reward. The people were just so unbelievable."

Butchko said he finally got a call Sunday from Jim Riddell, a North Ridgeville city worker. Riddell said he was at Quaker Steak that night with some off-duty Lorain police officers. He saw Lilly in the truck, and he and the officers petted her.

Riddell told Butchko he saw a couple with a child waiting to pet the dog also. When Riddell saw the family's flier for the missing Lilly at an ice cream shop, he knew he remembered the family.

"I knew the girl from high school," Riddell said. "I did some research and drove out to her house to see if I could see the dog, but I couldn't."

Riddell called Butchko and gave him the location of the house.

"I drove to there around 8 a.m. (Monday) morning," Butchko said. "They were sitting in their garage. I introduced myself and said I was looking for a dog."

The couple acted like they didn't know what dog Butchko wanted, which struck him as funny since the announcement was all over the news, Butchko said.

"I told them that Quaker Steak had security video of them with the dog and they said, 'Oh, that dog!'" Butchko said. "They told me that she was walking around the parking lot without a collar on. He said they didn't even think to ask whose dog it was, they just put it in their car and left."

The couple went into the house to retrieve the dog, which was in the basement.

"She came running up those basement stairs and buried her head right in my chest," Butchko said. "My wife was standing there crying. Lilly knew it was us."

Butchko said he thanked the couple for taking care of her and took her home. He then called Riddell and thanked him for his help in finding Lilly.

"I thanked him up and down, and he refused to take a reward, but he said he would take a perch fishing trip," Butchko said laughing. Lilly's "with me all the time, she's with me now at work. She doesn't even like if I go in the bathroom. She sits outside the door."

Riddell said he didn't want the money because he thought he was just doing the right thing.

"I didn't know what kind of reward there was," he said. "I told him I didn't want any money, I just wanted to meet him and the dog. Money doesn't mean anything to me. I was just doing a good deed, and I thank God he got his dog back."

Source: http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/06/16/news/mj1195460.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Marley, yorkie

Dog reunites with owner after mysterious journey
By Jennifer Musa, FOX 5 San Diego Reporter
May 7, 2010

SAN DIEGO— A San Diego dog that somehow ended up over 330 miles away from home in Fresno has been reunited with his owner, thanks to his microchip.

On April 1, 2010, Brianne Thom noticed that Marley had gone missing and did everything she could to find him.

"I put up signs everywhere. Nobody called. He had his collar on, so I knew if somebody good found him they would call," said Brianne Thom. "No one called. Weeks went by, I kept putting up fliers and they kept getting taken down."

A woman found Marley roaming around an apartment complex. The dog was taken to the Valley Animal Center in Fresno.

"She brings him in, and she says, 'I'm going to keep it if nobody claims it,'" said Bertha Rubi, a worker at Valley Animal Center. "I said, 'Well, let's scan it to see if it has a microchip.'"

The sweet tempered Yorkie mix had a chip, and Thom was contacted immediately. A month after Marley disappeared, Thom hopped in the car and drove six hours to Fresno to reclaim the dog she thought she'd never see again.

"Somebody sold him I guess," said Thom. "I don't know what else could have happened. I know he wouldn't walk. He's too small."

Thom adopted Marley six years ago from her aunt in Florida, and now that they are reunited they will be inseparable.



Source: http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-dog-reunion,0,7749077.story

Reuben, lurcher

Back from the brink of death: The recovery of starved Reuben...
the thinnest dog the RSPCA staff had ever seen
By Neil Sears
24th November 2011

When he was found dumped by a roadside, his bones breaking through his skin, he was the thinnest dog appalled RSPCA staff had ever seen.

Starving lurcher weighed less than 17lbs – under half his natural weight – and lost patches of fur.

The starving lurcher, named Reuben by those who nursed him back from the brink of death, had weighed less than 17lbs – under half his natural weight – and lost a number of patches of fur.

A hunt is now on for whoever so cruelly neglected him, but the good news is that it has emerged that he was stolen two months ago, and his original owner has been found.

He is now back in his home and being looked after under the supervision of experts. It is hoped he will make a full recovery.

Reuben was found in the village of Hartley, near Sevenoaks in Kent, just under two weeks ago, and rushed to the RSPCA centre nearby at Leybourne. In that short time he has already put on 7lbs, though is still poorly.

RSPCA manager Christine Dooley said: ‘This is the thinnest dog I’ve ever seen. After two days in our care he weighed just 17.5lbs.

‘The vet has told us that it will cost around £1,000 to treat him.’

RSPCA inspector Jo Barber said: ‘This poor dog was simply abandoned in this dreadful state.

‘We would like to hear from anyone who knows who he belonged to and who dumped him.’

Last night an RSPCA spokeswoman said the original owner of Reuben had been traced, after it emerged he had reported the dog stolen in September.

‘Reuben has been reunited with his owner,’ said the spokeswoman.

‘He has gone back home with him, and though he’s still in a quite a poor condition the owner is going to be getting him veterinary care, and we’re going to be doing a follow-up visit.

‘The weight loss occurred during the two months he was missing.’

Lurchers were traditionally used for hunting – often by poachers – but enthusiasts say they can make excellent family pets.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065841/Back-brink-death-The-recovery-starved-Reuben--thinnest-dog-RSPCA-staff-seen.html

Murphy, Australian shepherd

Stolen service dog reunited with owner
Posted: 11/21/11 at 6:50 am EST

Share BOCA RATON, Fla. (WSVN) -- A woman has been reunited with her service dog after someone stole the animal companion from her backyard.

Cindy Stabinsky and Murphy, her Australian Shepherd service dog, are now back together after Murphy was taken Friday night.

"There is no way this dog would have left me willingly," said Stabinsky.

Stabinsky hit the streets with fliers in hopes of finding her dog. Then the Tri-County Human Society informed Stabinsky that they had a dog matching Murphy's description. "They said a young man dropped him at the shelter late yesterday afternoon," said Stabinsky.

Murphy is more than just a friend for Stabinsky, who is a diabetic and double amputee. The trained dog helps her shop and shower and is even trained to call 911.

Although Murphy is worth more than $10,000, he is a priceless pet for Stabinsky. "He is my mobility. Having no legs, he does many, many things for me."

Murphy is now safe and sound at home, where he belongs.



Stabinsky says she will not press charges if police catch the person who stole Murphy.

Source: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21005954351786/stolen-service-dog-reunited-with-owner/

Watson, maltese

Lost dog reunited with owner thanks to microchip
By Doug Kolk, Reporter
Posted: Nov 22, 2011

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A Maltese dog missing for 10 months was reunited with its owner in North Park, thanks to an identifying microchip, animal services officials said Tuesday.

When Watson vanished, owner Jamee Lynn Smith became convinced that the Maltese had been stolen. She filed a police report, called Councilman Todd Gloria's office and searched her North Park neighborhood constantly, according to the county Animal Services Department.

A week ago Tuesday, San Diego police picked up a man in Linda Vista for a psychiatric evaluation and took from him a little white dog that turned out to be Watson, identified by county employs who scanned him and notified Smith.

"I got the call last Tuesday; it was breathtaking -- I didn't think I'd ever see him again," Smith said. "A microchip is really the best present you could ever get your pet."

Dawn Danielson, the Animal Services director, said "stories like these prove that a microchip can truly be your pet's ticket home."

A pit bull brought in last month was identified as belonging to Dawn Dowling of Baton Rouge, La., who drove to San Diego to pickup her dog.


Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/16104507/lost-dog-reunited-with-owner-thanks-to-microchip

Duke, chocolate lab

Lost Dog Reunited With Family After A Month Long Adventure
Chocolate Lab Goes Missing From Backyard
Posted on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Now that Duke is sleeping on 8 year old Jackson Bakken’s bed each night, everyone in the Bakken house is sleeping a little easier. Duke took quite a journey to get there.

Jackson Bakken holds his dog Duke sitting next to his father, Dale Bakken

Jackson’s father, Dale Bakken, had given up hope of ever seeing the Chocolate Lab again.

Bakken came home early on Oct. 14, to find Duke missing from his kennel in the backyard. How he got out of the chain link kennel was a mystery. Duke was hit by a car as a puppy, as a result has a limp and can’t run far.

Bakken searched the neighborhood and surrounding area, but turning up nothing he alerted neighbors and called the shelters around town.

Over the next few days, Bakken filed a missing dog report with Animal Control and posted multiple Craigslist ads. Weeks passed. Still nothing. He was angry with himself for neglecting to get a tracking chip and new identification tags for Duke.

Jackson Was Always On The Look Out For Duke

Delivered by Santa Claus on Christmas, Duke, the pick of the litter came to live with Jackson and Dale five years ago.

The Chocolate Lab is quick to give kisses even to strangers. He loves crawling on laps and is easy going to a fault.

“If somebody breaks in, he’d probably help them,” said Bakken.

When Duke went missing, Jackson lost a wrestling and tennis ball-fetching buddy. Bakken lost a loyal and talented birding partner.

Jackson was always on the look out for Duke, hoping he’d come home soon.

But Bakken admits that after a while he gave up hope that they would ever see him again. He canceled his bird hunting trips — it just wasn’t worth it without Duke.

“There was a lot of heartache and headaches not knowing where he was for a month,” Bakken said. “To not hear anything from anybody, I was a little disappointed in humanity.”

A phone call from a stranger, Stephanie Lewis changed all that.

Duke’s Adventures Away From Home

For five days of the month long absence, only Duke will ever know where he went. On Oct. 19, Duke was taken in at the Parker and Pets Rescue shelter after someone in Charlo called and said they’d had found a stray Chocolate Lab.

Duke was at the shelter for about a month until the PetSmart adoption event led him to Stephanie and Sonny Lewis’ Corvallis home, where he turned out to be a good fit with the Lewises five other dogs, one of which is a 14-year-old Lab near the end of its life.

Duke would come to a whistle, but always seemed to be heading off somewhere. Stephanie Lewis was convinced he was looking for something.

“We adopted him and brought him home, he was such a good dog. His manners were so good, you knew someone was missing him. If he was my dog, I would be out looking for him,” Lewis said.

On a hunch, she contacted two other chocolate Lab owners who listed lost dog postings on Craigslist. Both were a dead end. She decided to make one final call to Bakken.

An Emotional Reunion

Bakken was stopped dead in his tracks by Lewis’ call. They connected by phone Monday afternoon and reunited with Duke that night.

“I sat down and he just sat on my legs and put his head on my shoulder. I felt a little silly I got emotional in front of somebody I hardly knew,” Bakken said.

Bakken is still baffled about how Duke got from Missoula to Polson to Corvallis and back again.

He can’t say enough about the Lewises’ and what their kindness means to him.

“The big thing I got out of this is there are good people out there that do the right thing for no reason other than it’s the right thing,” Bakken said.

Lewis said she was happy to help and hopes someone would do the same for her.

“Never stop looking for your dog. Somebody knows something and there has to be somebody out there who will return it,” she said.

Bakken reimbursed the Lewises’ adoption fee and took Duke home, where he is happier than ever.

Before his trip, Duke slept outside. Now, “I give him most of the bed,” Jackson said.

Source: http://www.aplacetolovedogs.com/2011/11/dog-reunited-with-family-after-a-month-long-adventure/1486624852/

Mandy, French bulldog

Mandy's Find Toto Success Story
Illinois
Lost and Found: 11/04/2011

My French Bulldog Mandy escaped from my back yard and was gone almost an hour before my wife discovered she was gone. I was frantic when she called me with the bad news. I work 65 miles away from home and I felt so helpless.

My wife combed the local neighborhoods for three hours with little luck. Out of sheer desperation I Googled "lost dog" and I found the link for findtoto.com.

I entered my information and chose the recommended package (package B) almost four hours after she went missing.

I was a bit skeptical but I noticed that I received the recorded call on my home phone which I hadn’t shared with findtoto (I gave them my cell number).

Twenty minutes later I received my first call from a neighbor who had seen her on her street.

For the next hour I continued to receive calls from concerned neighbors who all had seen my lost dog and each of them gave me a location and a time that allowed me to “track” her as she strayed farther from home.

One of my coworkers even said “Gee Eric, do you have an Amber Alert out on your dog?" to which I said “Yes I do!”

Finally on the tenth call a very nice gentleman told me that he had seen Mandy three minutes ago! He got the recorded message when he was home for lunch and when one of his coworkers asked him if he knew if anyone was missing a dog matching Mandy’s description he said “Yes.”

I called my wife to meet up with the nice fellow and Mandy was finally reunited with her family.

I have no doubt that findtoto.com was responsible for Mandy’s safe return six hours after she wandered off. Thank you so much for you service. I’ve told everyone I know about findtoto.com and I will definitely recommend your service to anyone I know who has a missing pet.

Source: http://www.findtoto.com/?action=success_stories_detail&id=6751

Allie, terrier

Dog believed to have been stolen from St. Matthews is reunited with owner
WHAS11.com
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - WHAS11 has an update to a dog-napping story. The dog has been found in Mount Washington.

Allie - a 13-year-old terrier - disappeared after the owner tied the dog to a bench so he could talk to someone.

She was taken Sunday at a small gated community called the springs in Saint Matthews.

The owner says she was found in Mount Washington. He believes she escaped her kidnappers.

She is safe and back at home with her owner



Source: http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Dog-believed-to-have-been-kidnapped-from-St-Matthews-is-found-safe-134059423.html

Original story at: http://www.whas11.com/home/Man-says-his-dog-was-kinapped-from-his-yard-and-it-was-caught-on-video-133992768.html

Family dog kidnapped from St Matthews neighborhood with owner not far away
by Bryan Baker, WHAS11.com
Posted on November 16, 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- It’s a plea from a family who just wants their beloved terrier Allie back at their St. Matthews home.

"13-year-old dog that we all raised and loved,” Jack Dulworth, Allie’s owner, said. “She's like a child to us. I know what people are going through now that have children go missing. It's just very distressful."

The terrier's picture is complete with the offer of a $1,000 reward welcomes people to The Springs, a small, gated community. She disappeared from there during a meeting Jack had at the neighborhood’s guardhouse last Sunday evening.

"I'm always concerned about traffic,” he said. “We have a nice park-like setting in the middle of our neighborhood that has a fountain. I tied her up to one of the stone benches. I've done this on numerous occasions. Fifteen minutes later I came back, and she was gone."

Less than 10 minutes after Dulworth walked toward the guardhouse video cameras captured a black van leaving.

“It was in the neighborhood for 11 minutes,” Jim Pettit, Dulworth’s neighbor and a former LMPD detective, said. “During that time they stopped, picked up Allie, and left."

Pettit says people have never seen the van. A neighbor told them the people inside it saw the dog tied to the bench and asked if it belonged to anyone. Those neighbors told those people they weren't sure. The witness never saw the dog taken.

"A very brazen theft of a loved pet," Pettit added.

According to animal experts, small pets like Allie are sometimes sold as bait dogs for training in dog fighting rings. Others are sold to laboratories at universities across the country for testing.

For Jack it's no questions asked for whoever took Allie. He just wants to see her come home.

"I pray that the person who took her did so in a loving way, because they're concerned about her, wants her to come back,” Dulworth said.

Those animal activists warn you to protect your pet, because it can happen to you. Never leave a pet unattended and consider a tracking device like a microchip.

Jack's family hopes you will help them find Allie. There's a $1,000 reward. They're looking for any information on that black van, which they say looks like a late model Dodge Caravan with Indiana plates.

Baby Lady, Schnauzer

Dog Missing for 11 Months Reunited with Owner
Wednesday, 16 Nov 2011

GLENDALE - When your dog has been missing for months, you expect the worst. A Glendale woman thought she would never see her pet again, but one little piece of plastic made all the difference.

Antoinette McKinney can not believe what she sees. Her missing miniature schnauzer is home.

“It was kind of an absolute surprise.”

Baby Lady disappeared last Christmas Eve near 43rd Ave and Bell.

“I drove my family crazy for about two to three weeks, kept coming out and walking, calling. She just disappeared.”

Antoinette even posted flyers with the dog’s picture up and down the streets of around her neighborhood.

“People told me the coyotes got her, someone took her.”

Antoinette was so sure that she would never see her beloved dog that she got another one names Patches.

She didn't expect to have two schnauzers sharing her house, but she got a call Monday night. Luckily, Patches and Baby Lady are getting along.

Turns out someone turned Baby Lady in to the Arizona Humane Society. It’s a good thing the dog had a microchip or Antoinette would never have recognized her.



“It's miraculous and they did the right thing, they microchipped their dog and that makes all the difference in the world,” says Bretta Nelson from the AZ Humane Society.

Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/pets/dog-missing-for-11-months-reunited-with-owner-11-16-2011


Another version of the story is at: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/lifestyle/pets/missing-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-10-months-of-being-lost

Missing dog reunited with owner after 10 months of being lost
By: Bryan Pahia
Posted: 11/15/2011

GLENDALE, AZ - What was supposed to be a joyous Christmas Eve last year left one Valley woman without her beloved dog for over 10 months.

According to the Arizona Humane Society, on December 24, 2010, Glendale resident Antionette McKinney and her family came home from a party and she was greeted at the car by her dog, Baby Lady. As Antionette carried presents into the house, she figured Lady was behind her, as she always is.

Once everything had settled, Antionette had realized that Lady was nowhere to be found.

Antionette was frantic and spent the next several weeks going door to door, looking for Lady. The weeks led to months, and Antionette thought she had lost Lady for good.

This month, a good Samaritan brought in a scraggly schnauzer to the Arizona Humane Society. Workers eventually realized that the dog had a microchip.

At the same time, Antionette had just returned home and checked her messages. The Arizona Humane Society had called, saying that they had Lady.

Antionette was in shock. After 10 and a half months, she had just been notified that her best friend had been found. Antionette quickly headed to the Arizona Humane Society and was reunited with her beloved dog.

Making her day even better? Antionette was not only reunited with Lady, she also welcomed a grandson to her family.

Lily, shepherd

Missing dog found 700km from home
The Lost Dogs Home, North Melbourne
Posted 14 Nov 2011

Four-year-old German shepherd Lily went missing from her home in Goulburn, NSW over seven months ago and today her owners drove 700 kilometres in seven hours to find her again.



Lily reunited with her favourite toy.  See more photos of this gorgeous dog at http://dogshome.com/missing-dog-found-700km-from-home


Owners Theresa and Tracker, and their kids Carly and Stuart, were absolutely devastated by the loss of their beloved pooch and said they were gobsmacked to find out she was at The Lost Dogs’ Home in North Melbourne.

“We were at a wedding on the coast over the weekend and came home to a message from The Lost Dogs’ Home saying that Lily was in Melbourne,” Theresa said. “I was completely dumbfounded that she had somehow gone interstate.”

“Our daughter Carly started hyperventilating when we told her the news!’”

The couple suspect Lily was taken from their yard, as the heavy front gate – which had been locked the night previous – was unhinged when Tracker set off to work on the early May morning. Theresa said her son had snuck Lily up to his room during the evening before and let her out at 5.30am so his parents wouldn’t know she’d spent the night indoors. In roughly an hour timeframe, Lily was missing from their property.

“She’s an incredibly friendly dog but she normally barks at strangers who drive up to our house,” Tracker said. “Because we didn’t hear anything that morning, we suspect the person who took her was familiar to her.”

After speaking with staff at the Home on Sunday to make arrangements, Theresa and Tracker jumped in the car at midnight last night and drove over seven hours to North Melbourne. The reunion between the exuberant dog and her loving owners was certainly a joyful one – although it came with a surprise.

“It looks like she has had pups in the time she’s been away,” Theresa noted. “She wasn’t pregnant when she went missing so maybe that was the intent of whoever took her – to use her as a breeder.”

Despite this, Theresa and Tracker said Lily looked the same as always and couldn’t wait to get her home to the kids.

“Our son is a big, macho 18-year-old but ever since we found out Lily is alive and well, he’s been posting pictures of her on Facebook, with love hearts and the whole deal,” Theresa laughed. “I know both kids will be over the moon to see her again.”

Lucky for Lily, nothing much will have changed at her home, with her owners saying they couldn’t bring themselves to throw her things out.

“She was microchipped as a pup and so we always had hope that one day she would come back to us,” Tracker said. “There came a point where we were going to throw out the lounge she likes to sleep on but when the time came, we just couldn’t do it. We thought we’d better hang on to it in case she came home.”

“I never really saw the point of microchips before, being from the country, but I’m definitely a convert now!”

National Pet Register Manager Kate Hoelter said this family’s story really highlights the importance of microchipping your pet and keeping the contact details up-to-date.

“As soon as Lily was brought into the Home on Friday, we immediately scanned her for a chip and found Theresa and Tracker’s details,” Kate said. “If they hadn’t taken that measure in the past, I don’t think Lily would ever have gotten home.”

Kate said although National Pet Register reunites around 24,000 pets with their owners every year, seeing the joy on both Lily and her owner’s faces when they were reunited was just wonderful.

“It almost brings a tear to your eye, seeing how dedicated these people are to their pet,” Kate said. “To get up at midnight and drive for seven hours straight to collect their dog is really amazing and we only wish all dogs and cats were shown the same amount of love and dedication that Theresa and Tracker show Lily.”

Source: http://dogshome.com/missing-dog-found-700km-from-home

Airedale Lost in Newton

Lost Dog: How Twitter Saved the Day
by Beth Monaghan
Posted on: November 10th, 2011

I believe in social media as a powerful channel that has changed the opportunity for productive discourse for the better. However, in my personal life, I tend to relegate it to a tool for keeping up with friends and family, until a few Sundays ago.

I was out on a walk with my husband, Patrick, two-year-old daughter and cranky French Bulldog, Ernie. Ernie was snorting along down Beacon Street in Newton when we saw an Airedale loose, slowly meandering his way across the road until he became interested in a tree near a yellow Colonial.

While I held back Ernie with the stroller, Patrick went up to the dog and tried to find ID tags on his collar. Unfortunately, his tag only had contact information for the vet, which was closed. A call to the police station was another dead end since the dog warden was off on Sundays and the officer suggested that I could either take him to a shelter or let him go. #nothelpful

So we took him home with us. Before we left though, I snapped a photo of the dog with my iPhone and posted it on Twitter and Facebook with the #newton hashtag on the off chance someone might recognize him. Here is my tweet:

On the walk home, I hung back with Ernie and the stroller, while Patrick stayed a few paces ahead of us with the dog to keep Ernie’s betrayed anger at bay (his jealousy was pushing the fur on his back straight up and every so often he’s make a feeble attempt to lurch at the dog). #mydogisajerk

We asked everyone we encountered on our way if they recognized the lost dog, but no one did. So we settled into a plan to keep him overnight and bring him to the vet in the morning, where they would hopefully know his owners.

However, five minutes after we arrived home, I received an @ message from Peter Mahoney (@DragonDictator) who happens to be an InkHouse client and lives in Newton. He recognized the dog and had passed along my cell phone number to the owner! The owner and I spoke, and ten minutes after arriving at my house, the dog was headed back home.

Ernie was grateful he would not have to share his yard (or his pillow), and I found myself in a rare moment of disbelief that social media achieved what the police and good old-fashioned canvassing could not.

Source: http://www.inkhouse.net/lost-dog-how-twitter-saved-the-day/

Cocoa, small terrier

Pavelski reunites dog with its owner
Kevin Kurz, Sharks Insider
November 9, 2011, 10:29 pm

You know the tale of Pavlov’s dog. Now, here’s the story of Pavelski’s dog.

Sharks forward Joe Pavelski recently made a new fan when a stray dog wandered onto his property. After waking up from a pregame nap before the Sharks hosted Nashville on Saturday, he noticed a small dog peeking in his backdoor when his chocolate lab, Lucy, started barking.

Cocoa with Sarah, Joe and Lucy

“The other dog took off and we went in the backyard, which is fenced in,” explained Pavelski. “Our dog came out and started running around, so he started playing with her.”

Fortunately, Pavelski had a flyer on his kitchen table that his babysitter brought by after the dog’s owner handed it to her on the street the day before.

“Our babysitter, the previous day, was out for a walk and met this guy and he gave her a flyer saying they had a lost dog,” he said. “Sarah (Pavelski's wife) came out and said ‘I think that’s the dog that’s on the flyer.’ So we called him, and he was over in five minutes.

“It was great seeing the dog, Cocoa, and the owner reunite.”

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski, holding Cocoa, and a very happy blogger, Taewoo

Source: http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/sharks-talk/post/Pavelski-reunites-dog-with-its-owner?blockID=591400&feedID=10290


Original blog post at: http://blog.pawshpal.com/2011/11/05/missing-dog-missing-heart/

Missing Dog, Missing Heart
By taewoo
On November 5, 2011

Dear friends, subscribers, and readers of PawshPal.

Yesterday, I lost my dog Cocoa.

A few days ago, my door window basically cracked into a billion pieces from strong winds.

When the door guy came to fix the window, I wasn’t home. He didn’t realize that Cocoa would bolt out. (Terriers are known to be quite frantic and territorial at the same time). When he chased after Cocoa, Cocoa got spooked and basically ran for his life.

After 24 hours of intense searching (by THREE people), Cocoa is nowhere to be found, including local animal shelter.

Cocoa was my inspiration for PawshPal.

I have not given hope, but i am in insane emotional pain, anxiety, and fear. The nights are quite chilly these days and he hasn’t eaten in a few days from upset stomach. I wonder where he is sleeping … if he’s warm.. if he’s hungry.

It’s true what they say.. “you don’t know what you have till it’s gone.”

It’s taking me 2x as long as normal to write this post because my fingers are trembling and i can’t quite type straight. Though I like to express my emotions, right now it’s too much for me to take and I am quite lost for words.  I will update you guys as things progress.

Remember, tomorrow is never guaranteed. Live today NOW.

Kiwi, chihuahua

Three Years Later, Kiwi is Found!
Posted By: Angelo Sanchez, San Antonio, TX
7/20/2011

While on vacation in 2008 in Puerto Rico, I purchased Kiwi, a Chihuahua, and I brought him home to San Antonio. He disappeared a couple of months later, and I had no luck finding him.

Recently, three years later, I recieved notification that he was found in Humble, TX. Apparently he ran away and was taken to a vet in Humble where he was scanned.

I was notified and immediately drove for 6 hours round trip to pick him up. I was so happy and I'm grateful to HomeAgain.

http://foundpets.homeagain.com/three-years-later,-kiwi-is-found!.aspx

Belichick, puggle

Missing Dog Named ‘Belichick’ Is Reunited With Owner
November 8, 2011

BOSTON (CBS) – A dog named ‘Belichick’ that was stolen outside the Trader Joe’s on Boylston Street has been found.

Belichick the puggle was stolen from outside Trader Joe’s on Boylston Street in Boston.

Police say the 4-year-old puggle’s owner Craig Pentland had tied him up outside the store around 7 p.m. Monday and went inside for about 10 minutes.

When he came out, Belichick was gone.

Craig tells WBZ that Belichick made it home safe Tuesday evening.

Pentland told police that no one in the area reported seeing the dog being taken and a review of surveillance footage at area businesses did not turn up any sign of him.

The dog had a tag with his name on it and he is microchipped.

Pentland put up posters around the store and set up a Facebook page to try and find his dog.

Source: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/11/08/belichick-the-dog-stolen-from-boylston-street-trader-joes/

Boomer, yellow lab

Blind Dog Goes Missing, Gets Found By Animal Shelter
November 1, 2011

PRINCETON, Minn. (WCCO) — Boomer is a 9-year-old yellow lab and he lives in Princeton, about an hour north of the Twin Cities.

The trouble is Boomer is blind and wandered away from home Monday night.

Boomer with his new friends from Ruff Start Rescue

As it turns out, Boomer is one lucky dog because he was found by a woman who runs a Princeton animal rescue organization. It’s a good reminder for all pet owners, though, to keep their animals safe, especially now that the weather is getting colder.

Ruff Start Rescue is a haven for homeless dogs. But it’s rare that these volunteers help a blind dog. Boomer went missing Monday night and was eventually found along a busy road.

“It was about rush hour and it was Halloween so everyone was out bringing their kids trick or treating, driving by, or driving into town,” said Emily Randolph with Ruff Start Rescue. “He was stumbling and running into things, she quickly found out he was blind, had to lure him, coax him into the car.”

Boomer spent the night a veterinary clinic, scared and shaken, a situation no one wants for their best friend. It could have been a lot worse had temperatures been below zero.

“With winter coming people need to definitely think about getting a fence if they don’t have one and if they have a fence also snow comes and builds up and dogs can jump the fence, we see it all the time,” said Azure Davis with Ruff Start Rescue.

Boomer’s owner was lucky to find him through word of mouth, but your chances of finding a missing pet are much better with a microchip.



It’s a little piece of science, it’s fairly inexpensive, and can be implanted in less than a minute. And any age dog can be micro-chipped from a senior dog like Boomer to a little guy like Loki. It’s a great way if your best friend gets lost that he can come home safe and soon.

Source: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/11/01/blind-dog-goes-missing-gets-found-by-animal-shelter/

Diesel, Dogo Argentino/American Bulldog

Survivor reunited with dog
Christin Coyne
November 4, 2011

Weatherford — A dog that went missing after a fatal wreck early Tuesday morning has been located and is expected to soon be reunited with his owner.

Diesel, a 2-year-old Dogo Argentino/American bulldog trained for feral hog hunting, ran off when his cage broke after being thrown from a pickup driven by Marshall Bryant, who had just purchased two new dogs for his hog hunting guide business.

Bryant had just turned onto southbound Farm-to-Market Road 3325 when his vehicle was struck head on by a PT Cruiser driven by 21-year-old Justin Lawrence that drifted into his lane.

Lawrence, a 2008 graduate of Azle High School, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bryant, who was transported to the hospital with a broken foot, was unable to stop the dog.

An animal control officer at the Weatherford animal shelter contacted the Democrat Thursday after a dog was brought in that matched a picture and description of Diesel published in the newspaper Thursday.

The dog was reported picked up in the county, according to the officer.

Bryant said Thursday afternoon that the dog is his.

DPS confirmed Thursday that the fatal wreck occurred shortly after a high speed pursuit involving Lawrence was terminated.

The PT Cruiser was clocked speeding at a fairly high rate of speed on Interstate 20 when the pursuit began, Trooper Gary Rozzell said.

The pursuit continued approximately a mile and a half to two miles down F.M. 3325 before the trooper terminated the pursuit in an attempt to distance himself from the driver so the driver would slow down, Rozzell said.

About four miles after the pursuit was terminated, the trooper came over the hill and saw the crash, according to Rozzell.

The trooper’s sergeant confirmed it by reviewing the video, Rozzell said.

A memorial service for Lawrence has been planned for 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4, at Lighthouse Church at 6409 F.M. 730 South in Azle.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Justin Lawrence Memorial Fund set up in the name of Jodi Lawrence Corbell at Prosperity Bank, 608 Boyd Road in Azle.

Source: http://weatherforddemocrat.com/local/x471032256/Survivor-reunited-with-dog

Mr Bojangles, miniature schnauzer

Longmont woman, 92, says her stolen dog returned after three months
By Pierrette J. Shields Longmont Times-Call
Posted: 11/02/2011

LONGMONT -- The past three months of Mr. Bojangles life may remain a mystery to his 92-year-old owner, but she is overjoyed that he is home, apparently no worse for the wear.

Alice Sollenberger, 92, watched three months ago as her dog Mr. Bojangles was stolen. She received a call Tuesday that he was at the Longmont Humane Society and ready to come home.

"I still think it was pretty low to steal a dog from a 92-year-old woman," said Alice Sollenberger, who was reunited with her missing miniature schnauzer Tuesday after the Longmont Humane Society called to tell her that "Bo" had been turned over to the organization overnight.

Sollenberger said her daughter gave her "Bo" six years ago after her husband died because her four daughters thought the dog might be able to console her. She fell in love with the curly-haired dog with the stubby legs and enthusiastic and affectionate personality.

On Aug. 11, she said, she returned home from an outing with one of her daughters to find that Bo had escaped from her yard and trotted up Judson Street. She recalled calling out to him and then watching as two women got out of a dark-colored Jeep, grabbed the dog and left.

"I saw him get stolen," she said.

Sollenberger said she assumed they would turn over the dog to the Humane Society because he was wearing a collar with identifying information and rabies tags. After two days, she called police and reported the theft, according to police records.

Still, Bo did not turn up.

"We thought they stole him so they could resell him," she said.

On Monday, after mourning the loss of her buoyant pal for nearly three months, Sollenberger said she decided to take down his indoor crate, where he slept at night. Then on Tuesday, she received the call.

"It is a miracle. It is a miracle to me," she said, as Bo happily chomped on a chew bone. She said she is grateful to the Humane Society and especially to the man who turned in Bo.

Brianna Beauvait, spokeswoman for the Longmont Humane Society, said Bo was left in the night drop box and paperwork that was included with him indicated that a man found the collarless dog on Lamplighter Drive. Beauvait said the man included his name, but she could not release it. A microchip led the Humane Society to Sollenberger, who said Bo's ear had been slightly miscropped as a puppy, so it flopped over. That appeared to be corrected by whoever was caring for him in the interim.

Alice Sollenberger - looking happy to have Mr Bojangles back

Sollenberger is worried someone will try to steal him again, she said, looking down and patting him. "Yeah," she said. "I love you, little dog."

Source: http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_19250460#.TrLs7rDs_B0.email

Ollie, border collier fox terrier

Northcote woman reunited with stolen dog Ollie
Crime3
Nov 11 2011

ECSTATIC Northcote woman Larissa Smith was reunited with her beloved dog Ollie on Tuesday after 10 days searching for her best friend.

As reported in the Northcote Leader earlier this month, Ms Smith was devastated when the border collie fox terrier X was allegedly stolen from outside Northcote Central in broad daylight on October 22.

“I have never seen him jump as high as when we went to pick him up from the Lost Dog’s Home,” Ms Smith said.

“He was so excited to see us.”

Ms Smith said she would encourage everyone to microchip their pets because that was how the Lost Dog’s Home was able to reunite her with Ollie.

“He was a bit distressed at the dogs’ home because there was so much barking and so many strange smells but he’s safely back home now,” she said.

“We gave him a bath and some dog food and some fresh water and he had a nap on my bed and now he’s all happy again.”

Ms Smith said she was particularly grateful to Constable Sylvia Alste who generated media coverage and put extra time into finding Ollie.

Constable Alste said the widespread media coverage had resulted in several residents giving police enough information to issue a search warrant and arrest a 65-year-old Reservoir man on Tuesday morning.

The man has been charged with one count of theft and was bailed to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on 17 January 2012.

Source: http://northcote-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/northcote-woman-reunited-with-stolen-dog-ollie/

Lucky, maltese

Dog Reunited With Inkster Family After Four Years

POSTED: Monday, October 31, 2011

INKSTER, Mich. -- After more than four years a very special dog has been reunited with his family

Over the years, many people have seen the sign on Inkster Road in Inkster, pleading for anyone who might have seen a dog named Lucky.

Lucky is a vibrant dog that’s a full blooded Maltese and quite valuable. His owners Stan and Cheryl Sypniewski paid a couple thousand dollars for him at a Westland Pet shop and quickly became a member of the family.

A couple of months later Stan needed to sell his boat and left the gate open for a couple of minutes and that’s when his prized puppy bolted off without a collar.

“We went to the humane society, called the dog pound in Inkster, the one in Dearborn, Westland, and Garden City,” said owner Stan Sypniewski.

His neighbors said they saw someone pick up Lucky.

“We never thought we’d see him again,” said Stan.

The couple continued to look and ended up finding Layla, a red Doberman at the pound. Life continued on and then earlier this year the phone rang. It turned out Lucky found new owners to take care of him, about ten miles away, and they gave him to another family who brought him to the vet.

“When I handed the phone to my wife, she started crying. I turned around and told her Lucky was alive and they wanted to know if we wanted him back and we were like yes, yes,” said Stan.

So now Lucky and Layla are fast friends and aren’t allowed out of anyone’s sights, much less the yard.

Lucky was lucky enough to have owners that put an electronic microchip under his skin and that is how the family reunited.

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/pets/29633362/detail.html
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Orli, black lab

Fate helps find dog lost in desert crash
Diane Bell, San Diego Union Tribune
April 9, 2005

Their fourth day on a desolate, rain-soaked trail through the Mojave Desert between Needles and Barstow, John and Denise Vissat veered their Jeep off their intended route. In retrospect, John thinks the unplanned detour to find drier terrain was fate. For suddenly, after not seeing anyone for hours, they came across a lost dog trailing a leather leash.

The black Lab, caked in dirt, was several miles from the nearest highway. She wolfed down water and about four days of their dog's food supply. Then John, general manager of Hornblower Cruises in downtown San Diego, chipped the mud away from her collar and uncovered tags identifying the Labrador as a guide dog. There was a phone number and a microchip ID.

Back home

Meanwhile, Ronnie Phillips, at the Woodland Hills home of her son, was recuperating from an auto accident that had broken her pelvis and left her imprisoned in her collapsed Saturn SUV. Accompanied by her golden retriever, Remington, and black Lab, Orli, she had been driving northeast on I-15 to her home in Las Vegas on March 16 when she felt a bump, swerved, overcorrected and lost control of the SUV. It careened through a guardrail and rolled over. Phillips later was pried out of the wreckage and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Colton. A Highway Patrol officer dropped off the uninjured golden retriever at the Barstow Humane Society for family members. But the Lab that Phillips initially trained as a guide dog was nowhere to be found.

The Highway Patrol searched for Orli. The tow truck driver searched for her. Phillips' daughter returned the next day and scoured the area, leaving word with local vets. They had no idea how badly injured the dog had been in the crash, or if she was even still alive.

For days, Phillips called her home answering machine. "After about a week, I gave up hope," she said. "I figured if Orli had survived the accident, the coyotes had gotten to her."

Last Sunday evening, however, nearly three weeks after the crash, the good-news message was there. The Vissats had found Orli. Phillips called them sobbing. Was her dog dead? she asked. "No, she's doing great," came the reply. "I was hysterical. It was unbelievable. A miracle," Phillips says. Her son drove to San Diego the next day, and Orli now is back at home with her pal, Remington. She's 12 pounds thinner, but otherwise a very lucky pooch.

"It's like you lose a child, and your child comes home . . . She was a part of the family," Phillips says. "Now she has godparents."

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050409/news_7m9bell.html
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