Molly, basset hound

Dog reunited with owner's family after 3 years, 1,000 miles

7/16/2012 10:33:00 PM

Molly, a basset hound, was found three years after she wandered away from Fort Hood, Texas, thanks to a microchip

Molly, a basset hound, was recently reunited with her owner's family three years after the dog wandered 1,000 miles away from Fort Hood, Texas, thanks to a microchip that a Prescott Valley Police Department Animal Control officer found when scanning Molly, said Prescott Valley Police Sgt Brandon Bonney.

On July 7, Prescott Valley police officers took possession of Molly, who had been running loose in the area, and impounded the dog for follow-up by Prescott Valley Police Department Animal Control officers.

The next day, an animal control officer scanning the dog found a microchip identifying Molly and her owner, and spoke with the owner, who is a member of the military serving in Fort Hood, Texas.

The owner was happy to hear Molly had been found and said her dog disappeared back in 2009 from Fort Hood. The owner told the officer that she returned from a deployment in Iraq, went on another mission, and while she was gone Molly ran away from the house of a friend who was watching her, and that she had not heard anything about the dog since then.

"The owner contacted her family members in Tucson who responded immediately to retrieve Molly," Bonney said.

When the owner is back from a current assignment, she will drive to Tucson to bring Molly home.

"This is a success story that highlights the need to better identify our pets," Bonney said. "To many, pets are a member of the family. In addition to a well-marked collar, a microchip is an invaluable means for identifying lost pets."

Most police departments are equipped with a scanner to read the microchip and can help reunite lost pets with their families, Bonney said.

For more information on microchips, please contact a veterinarian, humane society or animal control professionals.


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