Tula, shih tzu mix

Lost dog belonging to daughter of Joe Namath found in St. Petersburg
Dec 20, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - The holidays will be a bit brighter for a Jupiter, FL woman who lost her dog five years ago, thanks to a determined animal-lover who found the woman’s pooch on the other side of the state in St. Petersburg.

Jessica Namath's 3-year-old daughter Jemma had never met Tula.
Now they are best pals.

Michael Cecere, 42, was out running errands early Wednesday afternoon when a small, brown scruffy dog ran into the road at 49th St. and 30th Ave. Cecere says the chocolate-brown Shih Tzu mix looked confused and scared. He didn’t want it to get hit, so he got out of his car and picked it up.

“I can’t not stop for dogs,” said the St. Petersburg resident, who says he has a big heart when it comes to lost animals.

Cecere spent the next hour-and-a-half wandering through the neighborhood, knocking on doors trying to find the dog’s owner. “Nobody knew this dog,” he said.

So, Cecere took the dog to his veterinarian, who discovered that the dog had a microchip embedded underneath its skin.

The phone numbers associated with the chip were no longer working numbers. But, Cecere did get the name of the person associated with the dog’s microchip.

He went home and Googled the woman’s name “Jessica Namath” and discovered she lives on the other side of the state in Jupiter. Cecere called and asked if she had lost her dog.

Cecere says Namath told him that her dog vanished about five years ago.

Namath is from a family of dog lovers. Between her mother, herself, her siblings and her famous father, NFL Hall-of-Famer Joe Namath, there are 12 dogs in the family.

“At first, I didn’t think she realized it was that dog. She thought it was dead,” said Cecere.

So, Cecere sent her a photo of the dog and Namath said it was her missing pooch.

“It was amazing,” he said, excitedly.

An Emotional Reunion

Since they lived on opposite sides of Florida, Cecere and Namath decided to meet midway in Yeehaw Junction on Thursday, so he could give Namath her long-lost dog. Cecere said the reunion between Namath and her dog was touching.

“The dog recognized her,” he said. “The look on her face was priceless. It was like it was her missing kid.”

Namath told WFLA.com that it was surprising and amazing that her 6-year-old dog “Tula” finally made it back to her after five long years.

“It was not the phone call I was expecting to get,” she said of the call she received from Cecere in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

Namath says she is lucky that an animal lover found Tula and was determined to return her.

“All the stars aligned,” she said. “Anybody who loves animals knows what it’s like to miss one.”

The Day Tula Disappeared

Namath says Tula vanished during a family gathering at her home which was on the intracoastal waterway in Jupiter. “She literally disappeared.”

Soon after Tula went missing, people in Namath’s tight-knit neighborhood help search for her. Some used kayaks to comb the waterway.

Namath posted flyers, offered a $2,000 reward and even consulted three different psychics, who all told her they thought Tula was alive. But, Tula never turned up.

Namath thinks that her lifelong concern for animals helped bring Tula back to her. “I have rescued and found and returned so many animals in my life. I felt it was my karma.”

Now that Tula is back at home, Namath wants to stress the importance of micro-chipping pets. It’s something she thinks every pet owner should do because it is easy, inexpensive and can help reunite owners with their pets, regardless of how much time has passed.

“It’s reassuring to know there can be happy endings.”

Source: http://www.wfla.com/story/24275564/st-petersburg-man-reunites-dog-lost-5-years-with-owner

Harley, chocolate lab

HARLEY reunited with his family ... AFTER 5 YEARS!
Humane Society of Central Washington on Facebook
November 19, 2013

You read that right -- 5 years. Harley came to Yakima Humane Society last week -- an amiable, 10-year-old Labrador Retriever / Mix. Neutered, microchipped, well-mannered -- Harley had to belong to someone, right?

Our staff looked up his record, yet the home phone number for the registered owner "Andrea" was no longer valid (TIP: Update your phone numbers on your pets' microchips!!), yet a work phone number led us to a former workplace. We contacted the workplace last week, yet did not receive a callback.

Meanwhile, Harley enamored us all (you know that feeling, right, Pet Advocates?), remain patient & happy throughout our daily rounds, walks, etc. He had come in with a bit of a cough, yet was being treated & doing nicely.

On Saturday, our staff contacted the workplace again -- imploring them to contact Andrea & get back to us.

That afternoon, we received a phone call from Andrea's relative, "I hear you've found a dog?" We explained the situation, that Harley had come to us as a stray & we traced his microchip back to Andrea.

The gentleman stated, "I can't believe it. Harley went missing 2 years ago. We let him out in the backyard for a bit, called him in an hour later, & the gate was open -- Harley was gone. ... For months we went out on every chocolate lab sighting in the County ... We finally gave up." He said he'd call Andrea & she'd be right in on Monday.

Andrea was at the shelter door before we opened. Talking with her further, she stated Harley had been missing 5 years ... FIVE years!! ... & they never knew what happened to him.

Harley & Andrea's 1st meeting in 5 years brought tears of joy to all of our eyes. Harley wasn't quite sure who Andrea was at first, yet warmed up quickly, & they were on their way into the sunset together.

Our staff / volunteer team is still in shock, awe, gratitude & wonder over Harley's reunion with Andrea. Where has Harley been? What adventures, trials, joys has he had? No matter, dogs live in the moment, & this moment is one of the best we've ever experienced!

Lessons to SHARE: MICROCHIP your pets. Keep the contact info UP-TO-DATE. NEVER give up. Together our community is reuniting pets with their families!!!

Blessings to you Harley & Andrea. Many happy years ahead.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153542498610014&set=a.10150160300150014.422310.317653620013&type=1&theater

Velvet, dachshund

5 Long Years Later the Phone Rings
Posted By: Rod, Albuquerque, NM
9/15/2012

Rod and his wife’s miniature dachshund, Velvet, went missing back in 2007.

After hundreds of flyers and searching for two years, they finally decided that their "Velvet" was lost forever. Not knowing what happened to her led to long nights thinking about her.

One afternoon in mid-September 2012, five years after Velvet disappeared, Rod got a call from the Albuquerque Animal Services. He thought at first that it was a prank call.

The animal control officer indicated that they had located him via the HomeAgain microchip service center, and assured him it was not a prank.

In total shock, he asked if she was alive. The officer said, "Yes, she is sitting here wagging her tail! "

Wow! He went to the shelter, without telling his wife, and after verifying all the information, Velvet was released to Rod. Animal Services didn't realize they just found a dog that had been missing for over 5 years!

Rod’s wife didn't know what – or in this case, who – Rod was bringing home, and he regrets not video taping the reunion between them when he got home. It was so emotional!

They immediately took Velvet to their vet, where they too were so happy that Velvet was back home! They talked about all the missing pet posters on their wall and how people should never give up hope for finding their missing pets even after 5 YEARS!

Rod says Thanks so much to HomeAgain! Chip Chip Hooray!

Source: http://foundpets.homeagain.com/5-long-years-later-the-phone-rings.aspx

Oreo, Boston terrier

Lost Dog Reunited With Owner After Five Years
By Laura Dudnick
February 1, 2013

A Palo Alto man was reunited with his dog Tuesday after the pet had been lost for five years, according to the Peninsula Humane Society.

The dog was found in Daly City and brought to the Peninsula Humane Society, 

where he was scanned for a microchip that turned up a positive result.

The Boston Terrier, named “Oreo,” was lost near Cubberly Park in Palo Alto five years ago and found this week in Daly City with what was believed to be an old, untreated leg injury.

A Daly City resident who found the dog wandering near a Security Public Storage on Hyde Court called the Peninsula Humane Society.

A humane society officer picked up and dog and immediately noticed the leg injury, and brought the animal to the San Mateo shelter for treatment.

A staff veterinarian noted the dog's back leg muscle had atrophied, indicating an old, untreated leg injury. Staff scanned the dog for a microchip and once it was detected, contacted the microchip company for the owner’s contact information.

The Peninsula Humane Society reached Palo Alto resident Brandon Springerwho said the dog, “Oreo,” belonged to his grandmother who passed away last year.

The dog escaped from the yard two years ago when a gate was left open and the family surmised he ran to nearby Cubberley Park, where he went for daily walks.

At the time, Cubberley has hosting a soccer tournament and the family guessed a spectator picked him up. In addition to being microchipped, Oreo had a collar and ID tag with his owner’s contact information.

Mr. Springer was reportedly shocked to receive the call Tuesday, according to the humane society.

“This story illustrates the importance of microchips, which can be a lost pet’s ticket home,” said PHS/SPCA spokesperson Scott Delucchi.

“Too many people don’t know how inexpensive this can be – we implant pets for $30, no appointment necessary – and how easy of a process it is. Hopefully, this happy ending will cause more people to consider this permanent form of identification for their pets.”

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

Source: http://pacifica.patch.com/articles/lost-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-five-years-8b32fe7b

Cane, mixed breed dog

Lost Dog Reunited with Owner After Five Years
Posted by ADMIN in NewsOne
August 31, 2011

If you’ve ever lost a pet or had one wander away from home this happy story will probably strike you as amazing.

A Lakeland, FL dog disappeared five years ago, but on Sunday his owners got a call they didn’t expect – after five years on the run, their long lost dog, Cane, was finally coming home. And it’s all thanks to a microchip, a small investment that pays tremendous dividends when needed.

“I thought somebody stole him,” said Cane’s owner Kendra Claridy.

Claridy says she’s curious about what went on during those five years, but having Cane back is good enough – perhaps the rest is best left to the imagination.

“Last night I was laying with him and I’m talking to him, and I’m saying, “Buddy where have you been? What have you done? Just tell me,’” Claridy said.

“And I wish we could know, but then again I don’t want to know. He’s safe now.”

Source: http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2011/08/lost-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-five-years/

Another version of the story at http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/august/303731/Dog-reunited-with-owners-after-being-missing-for-five-years

Dog reunited with owners after being missing for five years Kendra Claridy and Cane were reunited this week after five years apart.
By Laurie Davison, Reporter
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 31, 2011

POLK COUNTY -- It's a happy homecoming for a Polk County dog that's been missing for five years.

Kendra Claridy and Kayla Burton adopted the mixed breed from the Animal Shelter in October 2005. They named him "Cane," short for Candy Cane, since he was an early Christmas gift.

But by the following Christmas, Cane was gone. Burton said he was stolen from the family's backyard.

"We always talked about him because he was stolen right before Christmas", she said. The women didn't think they'd see Cane again.

Then, over the weekend, they got a phone call from the Animal Shelter informing them Cane had been found.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office says the dog was picked up as a stray. He was scanned for a microchip and that led Animal Control Officers to his owners.

"I can tell he's still traumatized a little bit", Claridy said.

"He's definitely been through a lot but he's adapting."

Claridy said Cane was filthy and covered with fleas. She said a bath took care of that. Otherwise, he seems to be in good health.

"It's shocking", she said. "This is really happening. He's really here. You just never expect that five years later."

Claridy said when she and Burton went to the shelter to pick Cane up, he recognized them immediately.

"I just want to give him a happy life. He's going to have nothing but love and air conditioning and food. He's going to be very well taken care of, that's for sure."

Rocco, beagle

Dog gone! Lost beagle back after 5 years, 850 miles
Rocco’s owner is now 11; ‘I was scared I’d never see him again,’ she says
By Bob Considine, TODAY.com contributor
7/16/2008

Five years ago, a heartbroken 5-year-old girl from Queens, N.Y., was hanging posters for the return of her lost beagle. Today, after years of wishes, little Natalie Villacis has been miraculously reunited with her beloved dog Rocco after he resurfaced some 850 miles away in Georgia — proving that every dog owner can have their day.

“I was actually scared that I was never going to see him again,” the now 11-year-old Natalie told TODAY’s Ann Curry on Wednesday. “I literally said, ‘I will probably never see him again.’ ”

Cristina Villacis, Natalie’s mother, said the family was shocked to get a call last week from a shelter in Hinesville, Ga., informing them that their long-lost pup had been found after half a decade. Thanks to a microchip implanted in the dog, an effective form of permanent identification, Natalie’s greatest hopes had been realized.

To help fill the aching void left by Rocco, the family got another dog a year after the disappearance — Bonita, a poodle from Ecuador. But even another wagging tail in the household could not fully erase Natalie’s
heartache. “She got over it, but she was always wishful that he’d come back,” Cristina Villacis said. “She’d always make wishes.”

A surprise call

Although she was barely a pup herself at the time, Natalie had no problem remembering the joy of getting a new puppy named Rocco.

“I was really excited,” she told Curry.

But one fateful day in 2003, after just two months in the Villacis household, the beagle slipped under a fence and ran off.

The family searched high and low, checked with neighbors and local authorities and posted flyers. But the only thing that remained of Rocco was his little red toy — and the memory of the joy he brought Natalie.

“She was very devastated,” Cristina said. “She kept his toy. She had a scrapbook with his picture.”

Then, on July 5, while Natalie was at a block party, the family received a call from Liberty County, Ga, Animal Control.

“We were so surprised,” Cristina said. “At first, of course, we thought, ‘It’s the wrong dog. It can’t be.’ But I think the turning point
was when they said, ‘His name is Rocco.’

Right there, we said, ‘OK, it’s ours.’ ”

When her mom told her the amazing news, Natalie just “cried hysterically,” Cristina said.

“She actually wanted to go to Georgia to pick him up, but the ride back was too long.”

A long leash

Natalie’s father, Jorge, and older brother, Nick, flew down to Georgia to pick up Rocco and drove the dog back home in a rental car.

“I was so choked up when I saw him,” Nick said. “It was a very nice moment, just to see him. He was doing well. He looked well-kept.”

Randy Durrence, supervisor at Liberty County, Ga., Animal Control, said Rocco had only a cut under his left eye and a spot behind one ear to show for his years on the road when he was brought in by someone who found him at a local military base. After the dog was scanned for a microchip, which Durrence says is “normal procedure,” he gladly made the call to the Villacis household.

“[Jorge] said he had been missing for five years,” Durrence said. “My understanding is that [Natalie] ran off into the bathroom and started crying right away. She is a real animal lover.”

How Rocco actually got all the way to Georgia from New York remains a mystery.

“Somebody must have taken him there; I onestly don’t think he walked there,” Cristina said with a laugh. “It’s OK, as long as we have him back.”

Durrence said no one came to claim the dog before the Villacis family, and that no one called to report this type of dog missing. But whoever it was that looked after Rocco over five long years has the lifelong gratitude of a little girl in Queens.

“Too bad we couldn’t meet them or see them,” Natalie said wistfully.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25700149/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/t/dog-gone-lost-beagle-back-after-years-miles/#
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Another version of the story is at: http://stilespoints.blogspot.com/2008/07/lost-dog-returns-after-six-years.html

Dante, pomeranian

After 5 Years The Phone Finally Rings!
Posted By: Todd Wackford, Granite Bay, CA
6/2/2011

Five years ago, I purchased a cute 10 week old Pomeranian puppy for my 16 year old daughter as we had moved into a new place. I thought a new little buddy would help the transition and keep her from being lonely. She named him Dante. He followed her around like the proverbial puppy he was. They were inseparable.

A few weeks later, my Daughter let the dog out into the back yard when she took a shower. When she got out, she went to let Dante back into the house but he was gone. The gardeners had opened the gate to mow the back lawn and he slipped away when they were not looking. After a lot of tears and searching of the neighborhood, we did the normal reward posters and waited for the phone to ring, but nothing. A couple of weeks later, I got out the papers he came with and registered his chip online with HomeAgain.

Time went by and we would often see other Pom's and think about where he might be. I even would look at online pet placement blogs just to see if I'd spot him. I never did. Then today June 1, 2011, I got a text message from my daughter: "Call me ASAP". I called right away and she was ecstatically screaming "They found him! They found Dante!” Apparently he was found in a field and brought to the animal shelter in Sacramento. They wanded him and found the chip which led to the call!

My Daughter is now 21 and moved into her own house just last weekend. And now she has the little fuzzy pal I bought five years ago to keep her from being lonely in a new place. Dante is back Home Again.......

Source: http://foundpets.homeagain.com/after-5-years-the-phone-finally-rings!.aspx

Cookie, chihuahua

Dog reunited with owner 5 years after going missing
May 19, 2011

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A dog-gone story with a happy ending -- five years in the making -- was announced Thursday by the county Department of Animal Services.

A Chihuahua found wandering in the street in Golden Hill on Saturday was scanned for a microchip, which resulted in a reunion with her owner.

"Cookie" vanished from Alejandro Pantoja's Chula Vista residence five years ago, and it is unknown how she made it from the South Bay up close to downtown San Diego.

Dawn Danielson, director of Animal Services, said the happy ending shows the importance of micro-chipping and registering pets.

"Having your animal micro-chipped is a painless procedure that truly does ensure your pet has a ticket home," Danielson said.



Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/14679421/dog-reunited-with-owner-5-years-after-going-missing

Brandy, cocker mix

Lost dog reunited with owner after more than 5 years
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.

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.

Nike, Siberian Husky

Early Thanksgiving for Tucson dog and owner reunited after five years: Hail the mighty microchip
by Rynski
on Nov. 24, 2010

Siberian husky Nike was reunited with owner Zeluica Sans after five years

A Siberian Husky named Nike may have been a dog gone after he got lost as a puppy five years ago, but he was certainly never forgotten.

Tucson owner Zuleica Sans and her family still kept pictures of the perky pup on their fridge all these years, but they also figured that would be all they would ever see of him.

They were wrong.

More than half a decade after getting lost, Nike ended up last week at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona when someone found him near East 22nd Street and Prudence Road as a stray – but he didn’t stay that way for long.

His microchip info pointed to the Sans family as his owners and Society staff gave them a call. Of course, Zuleica and her mother hightailed it down to the Kelvin Boulevard shelter.

“Nike and Zuleica recognized each other instantly in a beautiful reunion that unfolded with hugs, smiles, a wagging tail, and cheers all around,” noted the news release announcing the turn of events.
“He looks exactly the same,” Zuleica Sans said upon their reunion, “just bigger.”

The family, too, had gotten bigger. Nike was brought home to an expanded brood that now includes a Chihuahua and a Shih Tzu.

Siberian husky Nike was reunited with owner Zeluica Sans (pictured here with her mom) after five years/

Photo courtesy Humane Society of Southern Arizona

No one knows where Nike had been all that time, but he apparently did OK.

He initially got loose after jumping the fence, but now Zeluica and crew live in a home with a more secure yard.

The Sans also got one more added bonus – they didn’t even have to pay the adoption fee to get Nike back, although he did have to be licensed with the county for $15.50.

“Now safe and sound, Nike’s story serves as a great reminder of the importance of properly identifying your pets and the inspiring power of unconditional love,” the release said.

Too true.

Nike is not the only dog gone that was recently reunited with its family thanks to a microchip.

A Weimaraner named Jake was stolen as a puppy from a Michigan backyard seven years ago – and reunited with his owners earlier this year.  The Davis family, of Lake Orion, got a phone call from Kentucky saying microchip info on a now-grown Weimaraner was pointing back to the Davis family.  At first Brad Davis did not believe the call telling him his dog was found. After all, the family got a new dog just three months before and the dog was at their home. But when the caller mentioned the microchip, Brad told the host on his “The Early Show” appearance, “Right then, I knew it was Jake from seven years ago.”

Microchips, which are about the size of a grain of rice, are inserted into the scruff of the dog’s neck between the shoulders. The information on the chip includes a 10-character identification number registered with a service that keeps records on microchipped pets. Hand-held scanners read the info and, voila, you hopefully get your pet back.  Inserting a microchip is quick, painless and relatively cheap – especially compared to those priceless reunions.

Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/rynski/2010/11/24/early-thanksgiving-for-tucson-dog-and-owner-reunited-after-five-years-hail-the-mighty-microchip/

Ace, black lab

Dog found in Beauregard reunited with owner in Georgia after missing 5 years
Published: January 30, 2009

Ace, a black Labrador retriever from Georgia, was found in Beauregard Jan. 22.

When Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Pharmacist Helen Gill called Randy Dely earlier this week to tell him his dog had been found he was a bit confused.

As he held the phone in his hand, the Webster County, GA, sheriff looked to his left at his dog, Harley, safely by his side. Surely there had been a mistake, he thought.

Then he heard Gill say, “We have Ace.” The telephone fell silent as Dely began to ponder those words.

That’s when it hit him. Ace was his black Labrador retriever that had been missing for almost five years.

“I never thought I would ever see him again,” Dely said Thursday as he stood inside the AU Small Animal Clinic’s lobby, where he was reunited with his rotund, four-legged companion.

Almost five years after Ace disappeared from Dely’s Webster County, Ga., home in March 2004, the dog was found in the yard of AU Large Animal Clinic pharmacy technician Mechelle Golden’s house in Beauregard.

“I could tell he was somebody’s dog, because he was very well taken care of and very well groomed,” said Golden, who found Ace lying next to her dogs’ outside kennel Jan. 22.

Golden immediately began searching for Ace’s owner. After checking with a number of animal clinics in the area, Golden decided to take the dog to work to have him scanned for a microchip that would provide contact information for his owner.

On Tuesday, Gill found a microchip which provided the information that eventually led to her telephone call with Dely. The microchip had been placed between Ace’s shoulders by a veterinarian in Americus, GA, who also implanted microchips in all of Dely’s dogs.

“The best $25 investment,” Dely said, referring to the microchip that helped reunite him with Ace.

Ace was a puppy when he was given to Dely by a close friend, who had given him the dog to take dove hunting. Dely had just began to train Ace in the field when the dog disappeared.

Ace shared the kennel with a yellow Lab, Reefer, a retired Webster County Sheriff’s Office drug dog who had a penchant for escaping by climbing the fence. More than likely, Dely said, Ace had also learned to climb the fence.

Dely seemed just as eager to reunite Ace with the his old friend Reefer, who is now 16 years old.

“We’ve got to get reacquainted,” Dely said, “Once he sees that yellow Lab, I think a lot will come back to him at that point.”

Ace left the AU campus sporting a few going-away presents he received from the staff, including Golden — a collar, bandanna, leash and tag — all bearing the AU logo.

“I hope you’re an Auburn fan,” Golden told Dely, as she handed him Ace’s leash. “I am now,” replied Dely, who gave a check to Golden and to the Auburn University Foundation as a way of saying thanks.

“The whole experience has just been amazing to me,” Dely said. “I had never believed I would ever see this dog again.”

Before helping Ace into the cab of a friend’s pickup truck to make the more than 60-mile trip home to Webster County, GA, Dely said, “We may just lead the life of Riley. But if he wants to hunt, we’ll hunt.”

Source: http://www2.oanow.com/news/2009/jan/30/dog_found_in_beauregard_reunited_with_owner_in_geo-ar-507724/
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Rusty, Golden Retriever

Family pet returns five years later thanks to microchip
D Gilbert, Gainesville Times 

Andrew Gomez pets his dog Rusty. The dog was recently returned to the Gomez family after going missing for five years. A vet in Atlanta found a microchip on the dog and contacted the Gomez family.

You could call it a microchip miracle.

A Gainesville family who lost their dog five years ago was recently reunited with their pet, thanks to an identification device implanted under his skin.

The first weekend in June, Audrey Gomez got a call from someone at Fulton County Animal Services, informing her that they had her golden retriever, Rusty.

"I was surprised," she said. "I didn’t think we would ever get him back."

Audrey Gomez and her husband Albeiro purchased Rusty from a pet shop seven years ago, when they were living in Powder Springs. They were told that the puppy had been microchipped, but they didn’t give it much thought.

Two years later, the family moved to Douglasville. They had only been in their new house a couple of weeks when Rusty, who was unfamiliar with the neighborhood, disappeared.

"We put fliers around, advertised for a reward. No one called," Gomez said.

At the time, their son Andrew was 6 years old, and Gomez was pregnant with their second son, Anthony.

After a while, the family gave up hope of ever seeing Rusty again. But for some reason Gomez hung on to the registration documents she had signed when they bought Rusty.

"I was going to throw away those papers, but a friend told me to keep them, just in case," she said.

About 18 months ago, the Gomez family moved to the Gainesville area. They were thinking about getting another pet, and a friend gave them a pair of puppies, two female miniature dachshunds. The hyperactive little dogs are a lot of fun, said Gomez, but she missed Rusty’s calm, sweet demeanor.

In early June, someone in College Park called Fulton County Animal Services to report a stray golden retriever running loose. When the dog was brought in to the county animal shelter on Marietta Boulevard, an employee waved an electronic scanner over him to check for the presence of a microchip. Scanning is now done routinely on every animal brought in to most shelters in metro Atlanta, including in Hall County. In the vast majority of cases, the scanner doesn’t find a chip. But when Rusty was scanned, the test came up positive. This allowed the Fulton shelter to contact the microchip company, which tapped into its database to find information on the dog’s owner. Though the Gomez family had moved, the database still had the phone number for Audrey Gomez’s workplace.

On Sunday afternoon, June 8, the family drove down to Atlanta to meet their long-lost dog.

"He recognized us," Gomez said. "He still knew his name. He remembered the obedience commands he learned when he was a puppy."

If Rusty could talk, he’d probably have quite a story to tell. No one will ever know exactly how or where he spent the past five years. But it was obvious that someone had been taking care of him. He wasn’t underweight, and his coat wasn’t matted. Just to be sure, Gomez took him to a veterinarian the following day for a thorough checkup. She said he’s doing well for a dog his age, and he’s learning to get along with the dachshunds.

"They were a little jealous at first. Now they chase him around," she said.

Rusty’s safe return was made possible by the American Kennel Club’s Companion Animal Recovery program, one of several national microchip registries. Daisy Okas, spokeswoman for the AKC, said Rusty’s story is unusual, but not unheard of.

"We’ve had several cases where a dog was lost for years," she said. Okas said there are still a lot of misconceptions about microchipping.

"People think it’s like a GPS or something," she said. But the idea is catching on, especially since many breeders and humane societies are including microchipping in the price of adopting an animal. Typically the painless procedure costs $40 or $50, plus an enrollment fee, though some vets offer discounts. Jere Alexander, director of Fulton County Animal Services, said microchipping is a wise investment.

"It seems crazy not to microchip your animal, because they can’t tell you where they live (if they get lost)," she said.

Alexander said the Fulton shelter has returned microchipped pets to their owners before. "But usually it’s a matter of days or weeks, never after five years had passed," she said. "We’ve not seen anything like that before. Everybody was kind of shocked."

To Gomez, it’s amazing to watch Rusty interact with her youngest son Anthony, who wasn’t even born when Rusty disappeared.

"He’s such a friendly dog. We’re so happy to have him again," she said. "He’s a good boy."

Source: http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/6470