Athena, beagle lab mix

Microchip helps dog find owners after 2 years
Kathrine Schulze
June 18, 2014

Early one morning two years ago, a dog named Athena took advantage of an open gate. She did not return to her Lafayette backyard.

Rachel and Kevin Rotz were reunited this week with Athena “This dog could have been home two years ago,” a kennel official says, because Athena had a microchip.

Owners Rachel and Kevin Rotz were frantic. They hung up signs and posted Athena’s story on social media.

Calls from people saying they saw a dog matching Athena’s description — beagle and chocolate Labrador retriever mix — on South 26th Street gave the Rotz family some basis of where she was.

“We went out every day for the first five weeks,” Rachel Rotz said. But eventually the calls stopped, and they assumed the worst.

Last month, a call came in to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office of a stray running around Woods Edge Mobile Home Park, north of the Rotz’s home.

On June 5, an animal control officer caught up with Athena and took her to Crystal Creek Boarding Kennel. There it was discovered that she wasn’t an abandoned dog, but a lost one.

A microchip implanted under her skin and readable by electronic scanner identified her owners.

Athena stayed at Crystal Creek while she waited for Rachel and Kevin to come home from vacation.

When the Rotzes received the news that Athena was not only alive, but at a shelter, they were shocked.

After talking it over and getting approval from their landlord, Rachel and Kevin took Athena back home Monday.

Amid concern that Athena might not get along with the family’s other dog, they’ll be introduced slowly.

“We’re just glad we have her back,” Kevin said.

Nita Pollock, co-owner of Crystal Creek, said the reunion between the Rotz family and Athena went well.

Athena didn’t stay still from the moment she was let into the office where the reunion took place. She ran between Kevin and Rachel, stopping to sniff out the rest of the room, but always coming back to them.

Kevin adjusted Athena’s collar — the same collar from two years ago, now faded red but intact.

“I’ve got you a new bandana,” Rachel said, pulling out a black bandana filled with butterflies of every color.

“I’d say they were pretty enthusiastic, and the dog was really enthusiastic,” Pollock said.

After Athena ran away two years ago, Pollock said she thinks someone found her and, instead of contacting a shelter, kept her as their own.

“Just because they found it on the side of the road doesn’t mean it’s their dog,” she said.

People who find an animal, Pollock said, should notify a police department within that jurisdiction as well as shelters in that district, and take it to a shelter or a veterinary clinic to have it scanned for a microchip.

“This dog could have been home two years ago,” Pollock said.

Source: http://www.jconline.com/story/news/2014/06/18/microchip-helps-dog-find-owners-years/10809575/

Sassy, beagle

Beagle missing for 17 months ends up 400 miles away in Brentwood
Sassy the beagle microchipped, but no one ever checked
Mar 28, 2014

BRENTWOOD, Pa. —A 7-year-old beagle that left home 17 months ago and ended up nearly 400 miles away was finally reunited with her owner Friday evening.

Sassy the beagle was staying with foster parents April Smith and Hope Wilson in Brentwood. They had been fostering the dog they called "Jenny" for two months before she needed to see a veterinarian for a cough

Last Saturday, Smith took the dog to a vet on McKnight Road. When they asked for paperwork on the dog, she explained she's fostering the animal that was picked up from a shelter in Kentucky.

The vet decided to check if the dog had a microchip, which stunned Smith.

"I said, 'I'm not thinking that she's microchipped because otherwise I would think she would have been found by her owner by now and wouldn't have ever been in the shelter. But they scanned her and sure enough, microchipped," said Smith.

"I was in total disbelief. They said, 'Yeah, she is, and her name is Sassy.' And as soon as they said 'Sassy' her head turned. And I said, 'Are you Sassy?' And her tail started wagging right away."

VIDEO: Watch Kelly Brennan's original report

Sassy's rightful owner was immediately contacted in Louisville, Ky., and that's when the pieces of the story started falling into place.

Cindy Romans said she left her dog with a family member while she went on vacation in October 2012. While she was gone, Sassy left the house for a routine trip to the backyard and was never seen again. Romans assumed the worst, especially since so much time had passed.

"(The veterinarian) said, 'You're never going to believe what I'm going to tell you.' And I said, 'What's that?' And he said, 'I just got a call from a woman in Pennsylvania and she's got Sassy.' And I said, 'No way! In Pennsylvania?'" said Romans.

VIDEO: Kentucky dog owner grateful for those who cared for Sassy

Somehow, Sassy ended up in the Boyd County Animal Shelter in Kentucky, according to Romans, which she said is a kill shelter.

That's where Sassy was saved by members of Forever Home Beagle Rescue, Inc., based in Pittsburgh. The rescue group was started by Rich and Julie Stoops. They have members in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky who save animals before they're euthanized in hopes to place them with a forever home.

Sassy was saved and partnered with Smith in Brentwood. Their main question now: Why was Sassy never checked before for the microchip? WTAE contacted the animal shelter in Kentucky and is waiting for a response.

Now, Sassy's next stop is back to her home in Kentucky.

"Everyone has been such an angel with her, and I will never, ever, ever, ever be able to thank them enough for the wonderful care they're giving her," said Romans. "I would love for every pet owner who has ever lost a pet to be able to feel this moment right now. I'm just over the moon excited."

Source: http://www.wtae.com/news/beagle-missing-for-17-months-end-up-400-miles-away/25144882

Perry, minpin

ATTACKED DOG BACK HOME!
Posted by CDN
January 30, 2014

Riverview, Florida – During late 2013, Perry, a 10-year old miniature pinscher, accidently wandered away from his Riverview home and was seriously injured while roaming the streets. He sustained multiple puncture wounds throughout his body.  One of his injuries included a very serious and graphic gash which extended about 270-degrees around his neck.

Lucky for Perry he was observed staggering down the road the following morning and was rushed to the Boyette Animal Hospital, 10931 Boyette Road, Riverview, Florida, where emergency care was immediately initiated even though an owner had not been identified.    

Doctor Sarah Hilario said, “It was touch and go for a while, we didn’t know if he would actually survive the extensive surgery needed to treat his injuries.”  The surgery lasted for about two hours and required dozens of internal sutures and 25 staples to close the gash on his neck.  An additional ten sutures and drains were needed to treat the injuries to one of his back legs. Several treatments followed and Perry had to be put on pain medications and antibiotics.

“Perry surprised us all and he turned out to be a real fighter,” said Doctor Bob Encinosa, the person who actually found Perry.  Dr. Encinosa, with the help of his daughter, safely rescued the injured dog and immediately transported him to the animal hospital.  It is believed Perry was viciously attacked by another animal – possibly a large dog or coyote.  

Fortunately for Perry he had a microchip.  However the microchip was registered to the rescue group that found Perry his current home.  It took a day or two to locate the actual owner, but by that time Perry was on the road to recovery.

Due to microchip technology and the caring Boyette Animal Hospital team, Perry is alive, doing well today and best of all he is back where he belongs - with his thankful family!

Source: http://brandon.patch.com/groups/announcements/p/attacked-dog-back-home

Millie, deaf springer spaniel

Lost Dog Reunited Within Half An Hour Thanks To Microchip
dogcharity
January 13, 2014

Millie, a 13 year old deaf Springer Spaniel who went missing recently, was reunited almost instantly with her loving owners, Sonja and Stephen Williams from Beyton, Suffolk, thanks to her microchip.

Millie was out on a walk with Sonja and Stephen and their two other dogs last month when she went missing. With help from her microchip, Petlog, the UK’s largest lost and found database for microchipped animals, and the person who found her, Millie was reunited with her family almost instantly.

Sonja explains: “As she is getting older and likes to walk at her own pace, we take her off lead and she regularly walks behind us when we go out for walks. On this particular evening, Stephen turned around and realised Millie was no longer behind him. We think she had followed other walkers by mistake and she ended by the village green wandering in the road and we were rather franticly trying to find her.”

Luckily for the couple, Bill Lambert, Health and Breeder Services Manager from the Kennel Club was on his way home from a dog show with his wife when they came across Millie standing in the road. Unfortunately Millie’s ID tag had fallen off, but Bill happened to have a microchip scanner in his car and scanned Millie before calling Petlog.

Luckily, Millie was microchipped with a Pet ID microchip and registered with Petlog. Once her owners were identified and contacted they travelled to pick up Millie.

Sonja continued: “We were delighted to have her back so quickly. Thanks to Bill and Petlog she was home safe and sound to sleep in her own bed that very evening. We’d hate to think of her in a council pound at her age. We’ve had her since she was three years old and she is very much part of the family.”

Source: http://dogcharityblog.org.uk/2014/01/13/lost-dog-reunited-within-half-an-hour-thanks-to-microchip/

Baby, Boxer

Microchip helps owner get reunited with dog missing for over year
By Jessica Flores, FOX 10 News
Dec 23, 2013

PHOENIX - It is the best Christmas gift a valley man could ask for: After months of hoping "Baby," his missing boxer, would return home, she's back, just in time for the holidays.

Baby took off in November of 2012 and now, 13 months later, she's made her way back home thanks to a microchip implant.

Her owner doesn't know where she's been all that time, but he says this is the second time she will be considered his Christmas present.

Baby, a 5-year-old boxer, is in the comfort of her home.

"She's a loving dog. She doesn't ask for anything else but love, she doesn't play with toys, she just wants to be fed and loved everyday, that's it," said Timothy Costello, Baby's owner.

Timothy Costello got baby from a boxer rescue four years ago, right around Christmas and just after he lost his first boxer to cancer.

Baby rarely left his side.

"They say dog is man's best friend, but she was literally my best friend," said Costello.

But late last year, Costello came home and found Baby gone. The gate was left open.

Costello looked everywhere, but baby never came home.

But now one year later, someone turned the dog in to the humane society, and thanks to Baby's microchip, owner and dog are reunited just in time for the holidays.

"There's no better gift than to be able to get a loved on back that you thought was gone forever," said Costello.

Baby was found 15 miles from her home. She had been abused; she was about 20 pounds underweight and she had a seven inch gash in her leg.

"She needed about four to five days every day for the wound to be cleaned and after that they finally stitched her up," said Costello.

Baby's only been back home for a week and she is still recovering, but now she's safe and at home spending this Christmas with her family and best friend.

FOX 10 News | myfoxphoenix.com

"She was a 2009 Christmas gift. Now she's my 2013 Christmas gift," said Costello.

Costello says he plans to get baby a tracking device so she never lost again.

Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24287113/2013/12/23/missing-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-going-missing-for-year

Luke, rat terrier

Stolen dog, owner, reunited in time for Christmas
By Samantha Allen
12/23/2013

LOWELL - Norma Von Fricken said she was praying to St. Anthony all day Monday for the safe return of her dog, missing for nine days since her car was stolen in Lowell with the little pet inside.

She said that although she had a few dark days, losing her faith after the incident, this past weekend she knew it would only be a matter of time before her 6-year-old rat terrier Luke showed up again.

Norma Von Fricken snuggles with her returned Luke, who was stolen, along with her Honda Civic, last week. Luke was found in Boston.

Only hours after Von Fricken prayed for her dog, Monday morning she said she received a call from Boston police they had found Luke, and he had been in their pound since last Saturday, Dec. 14, the day Von Fricken's car was stolen.

"I tell you, Jesus is alive and well," Von Fricken said inside her kitchen Monday night, with Luke prancing around her feet.

Meanwhile, a missing pitbull reportedly stolen this past weekend in Tewksbury was also returned according to officials Monday. Von Fricken's drama began when she left the engine running to keep the dog warm when she parked outside Eliot Presbyterian Church in Lowell to drop off some Christmas decorations at that time. She said she ran inside the Summer Street church to make the donation around 11 a.m. and was not gone for longer than 10 minutes.

Von Fricken said she borrowed a friend's car as soon as she got the call Monday and zipped down to the city to claim her friend. A microchip scan confirmed this dog was hers, and she brought him home. Monday night, she said she was preparing a turkey for both of them to enjoy.

A spokesman for the Boston Police Department confirmed Luke was found just outside the police station in Back Bay. Von Fricken's car was still missing as of Monday night.

Von Fricken found Luke three years ago at the Lowell Humane Society. Humane Society Executive Director Jill O'Connell said she was elated when she heard the good news of his safe return. The local shelter had put out a call to help Von Fricken last week, asking residents to be on the lookout for Luke. They coordinated with missing-dog groups in New Hampshire and beyond to keep a sharp eye out for him.

Von Fricken said though she questioned her faith previously, the kindness and support of her community brought her back. She said her mailman took Luke's photo and showed it around the neighborhood to try to help locate him. Then an 8-year-old son of a parishioner called to make sure Von Fricken was doing all right. Monday evening, the Rev. Thysan Sam of Eliot Presbyterian stopped by to check in, too. She told him Luke was completely unharmed and the car thief must have stolen her Honda, and then taken Luke to Boston to drop him off.

"The Lord is in everybody. He's in the mailman, he's in that little child," she said. "... I'm so happy to have Luke back."



Meanwhile, in the Tewksbury case, the dog's owner, Samantha Halley, 24, claimed her ex-boyfriend took her dog, named Lucc, without permission Saturday night when her parents let the dog out into their fenced-in backyard area on Emily Drive. Halley said she saw footprints indicating the dog left the area with another person.

Lucc, a 2-year-old pitbull with golden brown hair and a bright red nose, was returned by an anonymous person according to Tewksbury police on Sunday. Tewksbury police Lt. Robert Stephens said officials continue to investigate whether a person stole Lucc or if the dog was lost on its own.

Lowell Deputy Police Superintendent Deborah Friedl confirmed police will continue to investigate the theft of Von Fricken's vehicle in her case. For now, Von Fricken said she is planning to purchase a new car, and to enjoy Christmas with her family and her beloved dog.


Source: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_24783521/stolen-dog-owner-reunited-time-christmas

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

Penny

Missing Columbus Dog Found One Year Later in Richmond, Virginia Hotel
Thursday December 19, 2013

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Columbus family is relieved after learning their dog, missing for one year, was discovered hundreds of miles away in an abandoned hotel room in Richmond, Virginia.

The Christmas tree sparkles and the gifts are stacked underneath.

A much happier holiday scene than last year in the McGregor house.

"It was the day we were leaving for my in-laws for the holidays and we were just beside ourselves," said Jone Mason McGregor.

The family's four year old fur ball, Penny, just vanished.

"It's like a beloved member of our family gone," said McGregor.  "We were like the sad family that showed up at the pound every day for like months."

The family let Penny out in the backyard.  They think she somehow slipped under the fence and got away.

"Think about the logistics of an eight pound dog and all the things that could happen to her, but in my heart of hearts I just felt she was still somewhere around," said McGregor.

McGregor's feeling was right.  But that somewhere was nowhere near.  Little Penny turned up in a hotel room in Richmond, Virginia, abandoned.

"It's 479 miles," said McGregor.  "I burst into tears. I couldn't believe it,"

McGregor has no idea where Penny's been or who's had her. The family's just happy she's about to come home.

"It's really an amazing Christmas gift to our family," said McGregor.


McGregor's husband plans to drive to Virginia Sunday to pick Penny up.

The couple hopes to learn more about where she has been this whole time.

Source: http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/12/19/columbus-missing-dog-found-year-later-in-richmond-virginia.html

Anna, Shetland Sheepdog

Dog found 500 miles away reunited with owner in time for Christmas
16 December 2013

A seven-year-old Shetland Sheepdog has been reunited with her owner after she was found over 500 miles away from home.

Anna was reported missing by breeder Leanda Loosemore in May after disappearing from her kennel near Cupar.

After alerting the police and posting appeals on social networking sites, Leanda had give up hope of finding her beloved pet.

But a phone call last month from the council in Ashford, Kent made sure that the prize-winning show dog was back home in time for Christmas.

Leanda said: "She was behind a locked and bolted door. Anna is quite a cuddly, lazy wee thing and there is no way she would have climbed out anywhere.

"So I knew she had been stolen."

At that point Leanda had resigned herself to thinking she would never see Anna again - until she was contacted out of the blue.

She added: "They said we've had one of your dogs handed. I immediately thought it was a puppy we had sold and maybe the owners hadn't transferred the micro chip details."

Anna the Shetland Sheepdog found 500 miles away from home. Reunited with owner Leanda Loosemore.

But when the caller described the dog to Leanda, she was delighted to discover Anna had been found and would soon be on her way home.

Leanda said: "If she wasn't microchipped we would never have got her back - I doubt the people in Kent would have seen her pictures on Facebook.

"It's brilliant to have her back. It's like a real life lassie come home."

Source: http://news.stv.tv/tayside/257077-anna-the-shetland-sheepdog-reunited-with-owner-leanda-loosemore/

Meko, Brussels Griffon

YHS reunites lost dog with owners after a year and a half
Patrick Whitehurst, The Daily Courier
12/9/2013

PRESCOTT - Meko, a four-year-old Brussels Griffon, is destined to be a part of the O'Brien family.

In 2012, Meko went missing during the night while on an O'Brien family camping trip to Parker for the Fourth of July weekend. After searching for their missing pet, James and Dana O'Brien, with their children Mady and Jayden, returned to California empty-handed.

Mady & Meko play dress-up prior to the dog’s disappearance in Parker over the 4th of July 2012 weekend


A year and a half later, Meko returned.

Last month, the young dog was found on Highway 89 in the company of another dog. Both were brought to the Yavapai Humane Society in Prescott on Nov. 12 as lost pets, according to Lisa Snyder, lost-and-found associate for the Yavapai Humane Society.

Snyder worked diligently to reunite the dog with his family. That reunion was made all the more special for Mady O'Brien, 7, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May. Meko's return has ignited a glimmer of hope for the family.

"We just kind of feel like this is the first good news we've gotten since she was diagnosed," Dana O'Brien said. "We're very hopeful that this is the beginning of good news and that hopefully next year will be a little better than this one."

Mady and her brother Jayden gathered some of Meko's belongings, which the family saved, including his collar and leash.

"They went out and got him new toys and got him a new bed," Dana said.

Dana learned the news while taking Mady to one of her many doctor's appointments.

"I told Mady and she had the biggest smile on her face. The first thing she said was 'This has got to be the best day ever.' He really was more her dog. We could tell that right off the bat. When he was little he followed her around and would sleep with her. They really had a special bond and it really meant a lot to her that he was able to make it home."

After learning the news Meko had been found, James O'Brien wasted no time returning to Prescott for the family pet.

According to Snyder, Meko never barked or uttered a sound while in the humane society's kennels. That changed when O'Brien showed up.

"All of sudden a switch just went on and the dog went crazy. It was pretty amazing," Snyder said.

Stacy Hawthorne, marketing and development director for the humane society, kept in contact with the family during the reunion process.

The family told her Meko disappeared sometime during the camping trip after going to sleep with Mady.

"Meko slept next to Mady mostly. But when they woke up, he wasn't there," Hawthorne said. "They immediately went looking for him at the campground and talked to a park ranger. The park ranger said they saw him wondering around and said the dog jumped into a van in the middle of the night with a guy who was camping. That guy went to the park ranger and asked who owned the dog. The ranger told him to leave it there. I guess the guy just decided he wanted him."

Meko now lives with another dog, Joey, which the family adopted when they'd given up hope of seeing Meko again.

Yavapai Humane Society employees use a scanner that checks incoming animals for microchip implants, Snyder said. Both Meko and his traveling companion were scanned when they got to the humane society.

"We scanned both of the dogs. The other dog didn't have any chip. We don't know where that one came from, but it seemed to be hanging out with Meko. Meko was in a lot better shape. We scanned him and brought up a microchip," Snyder said.

The company informed Snyder that the O'Brien family had reported Meko stolen in 2012. The family, she learned, lived in San Juan Capistrano in California. She immediately began calling phone number in an attempt to reach them.

At first, the O'Briens were reluctant to believe the lost dog in question was actually Meko.

"They asked to see pictures, because mom didn't really believe it was their dog at this point," Snyder said. "I emailed her a picture and she called me back within three minutes of getting the picture and was almost in tears."

Hawthorne said not all humane societies are able to afford the high tech tracking equipment.

"The scanner we use is a universal scanner. A lot of humane societies don't have them, because they're really expensive, but PetCo actually funded this," Hawthorne said.

A video of the reunion, produced by the Yavapai Humane Society, has since gone viral and has even appeared on the Martha Stewart website. The Yavapai Humane Society currently has about 30 dogs in their lost and found kennel and a 30 percent reunion rate.

Source: http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1086&ArticleID=126209

Taz Davies

Thanks to a microchip & good samaritans, little Taz made his way home!!

Bella Lost from Keller

Good Samaritans Catch a Dog Missing for Two Years
Posted by ADMIN
December 5, 2013

After having been missing for nearly two years, an elusive dog named Bella was finally caught with the help of a rescue group and a couple of good Samaritans and returned home to her worried mom, who never lost hope that they’d be reunited.

Bella was reunited with her owner Melanie Barnes on December 4, 2013, two years after she ran away from Barnes' home in Keller.

Farnaz Memarzadeh first noticed the stray dog in 2012, when she was wandering around the woods by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“I couldn’t ignore the situation — especially because it was right in front of me,” said Farnaz.

She called her Nadine, and tried to catch her, but could never get close enough. Over the summer, Farnaz contacted Duck Team 6, a rescue group that specializes in catching street dogs.

“Most of the time, I set up a trap, we catch our dog that day,” said Pat Rodriguez. “It might be a couple hours, but we catch our dog.”

Duck Team 6 spent two months trying to catch Bella, but to no avail. But on Tuesday, a maintenance worker from the medical center tried something no dog could resist – some KFC.

“He had a unique strategy that we had never tried,” Farnaz said. “He took Kentucky Fried Chicken — the crispy kind — and hung it from a string at the end of the trap, kind of like mistletoe from the ceiling.”

Now, most of us know that dogs aren’t supposed to be given bone-in chicken, because the bones can splinter in their digestive tracts, but desperate times call for desperate measures. One dangling drumstick and Bella was caught.

She was taken to veterinarian, who found she had ear mites and hookworms – but also a microchip. Her home was in Keller, TX, 37 miles away. Owner Melanie Barnes was delighted to receive the phone call she had waited so long for.

“It’s been a long time, sweetheart!” Melanie said to Bella during their reunion at Farnaz’s home. “It’s been a long time.”



No one knows how she managed to get all the way to Dallas after jumping the fence in her yard, or how she scavenged enough food to stay alive so long. Hopefully now she’ll stay home where she’ll be spoiled for the rest of her life.

Source: http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Dangling-drumstick-catches-stray-dog-missing-for-two-years-234583391.html

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

Jasmine, boxer

Lost dog found in Oklahoma had microchip, to be reunited with North Dakota family
Jasmine, an 8-year-old boxer, went missing two months ago from her home in Minot, N.D.
By Matt Patterson
Published: November 19, 2013

Nobody knows how Jasmine ended up in Oklahoma City from her home in North Dakota, but the 8-year-old Boxer will be reunited with her family Tuesday thanks to a microchip and a lot of luck.

Free to Live Animal Sanctuary kennel master Willy Fields gets a kiss from Jasmine, an 8-year-old boxer he found wandering in Logan County. The dog will be reunited with its owners in North Dakota on Tuesday.

Jasmine was found on a Logan County road this month by Free to Live Animal Sanctuary kennel master Willy Fields. When the dog was taken to Sunset Vet Clinic in Edmond to get checked and prepared for adoption, a microchip was found with her owner's information.

Micro chipping has become popular in recent years. The dog owner's information is stored on a chip that is surgically implanted in a dog's skin. Many veterinarian clinics and animal shelters can scan the dogs to see if they have a chip.

Tina Bohn said Jasmine turned up missing from their Minot, N.D., home about two months ago.

“We were very surprised to get the call,” Bohn said. “It wasn't like her to wander off and after this much time had passed we thought we'd never see her again.”

Jasmine will fly to North Dakota on Tuesday. Bohn said she thinks Jasmine was stolen.

“We figured someone probably took her,” Bohn said. “That's the only explanation I have. I don't think she could have made it down there on her own. She had to have had some help.”



Veterinarian Danel Grimmett said Jasmine is in good health despite her ordeal. Grimmett said it is an example of why owners should microchip their dogs. She said her dog was found and reunited with her thanks to a microchip.

Source: http://newsok.com/lost-dog-found-in-oklahoma-had-microchip-to-be-reunited-with-north-dakota-family/article/3906069

Mockie, chihuahua mix

Pet and his “pet mom” reunited after 4 years, thanks to microchip

by Pima County News

on Nov. 07, 2013

Wednesday, November 6 was any normal day for Bianca Beltran – until she opened a letter in the mail from Pima Animal Care Center.

“I opened the note and I just screamed and sat on the floor I was so surprised,” said Beltran, who drove immediately over to the shelter at 4000 N. Silverbell Road to pick up Mockie, the dog she had lost four years earlier.

Thanks to a microchip, Bianca was reunited with the family pet she’d had for more than two years until the active little dog escaped from her granddaughter at the park. She searched the shelters for months and always watched for him at the park until finally she gave up. “I always prayed that someone had him and he was being treated well,” she said.

But recently the dog, known as Nido, had been turned in by a woman who had suffered a personal setback and could no longer keep the dog she had gotten from a friend. But when animal care staff scanned the Chihuahua mix for a microchip, they found the chip and reached out to his original owner.

Beltran and volunteers who helped are convinced Mockie remembered her, and when he put his face on her shoulder, everyone cried. Beltran said she’s thrilled at the click-click of little paws on the floor and reports he hasn’t left her side since coming home. Decked out in a new leash, he remembers the rules of the house and has already been out walking, since he needs to lose a little weight.

She said she hopes her story helps share the benefits of microchipping.

“It’s been wonderful and I can still barely believe it,” she said.

Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/pima-county-news/2013/11/07/pet-and-his-pet-mom-reunited-after-4-years-thanks-to-microchip/

Natty, shepherd mix

Linden man reunited with dog in Jackson five months after losing her in Fenton
By Will Forgrave
on October 14, 2013

JACKSON, MI – Linden resident Daane Birchmeier was convinced that his 11-month old dog Natty was gone for good after she wandered off as he worked on his truck in May.

Linden resident Daane Birchmeier, 21, is reunited with his dog Natty at the Jackson County Animal Shelter after the 11-month-old sheperd mix wandered off in early May.

But five months and more than 70 miles later, Birchmeier and his dog were reunited last week at the Jackson County Animal Shelter, 3370 Spring Arbor Road in Jackson.

"We have no idea how she ended up here," Birchmeier, 21, said. "I'm just ecstatic to have her back."

Birchmeier said he adopted Natty from a shelter in Fenton in January. For five months, the duo lived in Birchmeier's Linden apartment.

"She's the kind of dog that always sticks around and is really chill and relaxed, even as a puppy," Birchmeier said. "She's just a really, really good dog."

Birchmeier said he took Natty to his parents' house in Fenton in early May to work on his truck. Nearly three hours later, Natty was gone.

"She was just wandering around me as I was working, and then I noticed after I was cleaning up that she was gone," Birchmeier said. "My parents live next to a park so we think she might have run off into it, but there's no telling."

Jackson County Animal Shelter Administrative Clerk Debbie Drouin said the dog was picked up by animal control in the 1800 block of E. South Street in Jackson the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 7.

"She's relatively healthy compared with some of the other animals we get in here," Drouin said. "Luckily, she had a microchip so we were able to get in touch with Daane right away."

Used to keep track of pets, microchipping is a procedure during which a veterinarian injects a chip about the size of a grain of rice just under the skin of a dog or cat. A scanner can then be used to glean information such as the owner's name, phone number and address.

Birchmeier picked up Natty on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

"I walked in and she immediately started barking and jumping up and down," Birchmeier said. "I was like 'oh man, did she turn into that kind of dog when I was gone?' I was worried about her.

"The shelter worker, though, said Natty must have really missed me because she had been moping around the last couple of days," he said. "She almost knocked me over when she came running down the hall."

Drouin, who snapped a photo of the reunited pair, said she couldn't keep the dog still to take a photo.

"It was really cute," she said. "She was so excited to see her owner again."

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2013/10/man_loses_his_dog_in_linden_re.html

Alfaba, Welsh terrier

Soldier reunited with dog, missing for 18 months
May 21, 2013

ATLANTA -- Brandon Patterson was serving in Iraq, when he got the heartbreaking call. It appeared his dog Alfaba had found a gap in the sitter's fence and wandered away.

Helpless to do anything from so far away, Patterson asked his friends to post flyers and ads on Facebook, but Alfaba had disappeared.

"It's been very difficult just for closure. Just not knowing where she was at, if she was still alive?" said Patterson.

Patterson says he never stopped looking for Alfaba, keeping an eye out every time he saw another dog, and he certainly couldn't bring himself to adopt another.

"I think that I wanted to wait until I kind of have a peace about this and I never really did," he said.

Now he knows why. Cobb County Animal Control says Alfaba was one of nearly 40 dogs pulled from the house of an elderly woman, who also had dozens of cats and birds, all stuffed in cages inside her tiny house.

"Her back is black fur, but it was just dense with dirt and grime. You could tell she hadn't been brushed in a very very long time," said Judy Price, a volunteer with Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption.

Price was one of the first rescue volunteers called to the house to help.  The shelter couldn't take them all, but wanted to find as many good homes as possible.

"The wire cages (were) stacked double high, very dimly lit.  The shades were pulled down so no one could see in.  Cats (were) perched on any surface imaginable.  The smell of old urine was almost caustic," Price said, describing the conditions inside the house.

Price took three of the dogs and called Erika Dillingham for help in finding the right place for Alfaba, since she had experience with his breed, a Welsh Terrier.

Dillingham volunteers with Society of Humane Friends of Georgia and American Fox Terrier Rescue.

Dillingham says she could feel Alfaba's microchip in her shoulder, even though a vet checking the dog out, said she didn't have one.

The next day she went to another vet to have it checked out.  Unfortunately, the information didn't lead her directly to Patterson so she tried to track down the chip's maker and where it was purchased.

"It took a lot of internet searching and a lot of phone calling," she said.  Even when she did get a number for Patterson, it was disconnected.

Finally, the company where the chip had been purchased called back with another number.  It was just the number she needed to reunite Patterson with Alfaba.  It came just in time, because plans were already in the works to send Alfaba to a home in Montana.

"She started bouncing in the air and her tail was going a million miles a minute," said Dillingham.

Patterson says Alfaba is already up to her old tricks.

"Whenever I got out of the shower she would always lick my legs.  She continues to do that," he said with a smile.



Dillingham says the story is a great reminder to all pet owners to update the information associated with their pet's microchip.  She also encourages pet owners to register their animals with several services, and use several numbers for good samaritans trying to reach you!

Source: http://www.11alive.com/news/article/293593/40/Soldier-reunited-with-dog-missing-for-18-months

Molly, pitbull or mix

Dog Missing for Four Years to Be Reunited with her Family
Posted by Admin in Dog News
April 29, 2013

Four years ago Joyce Green’s dog Molly was stolen from her Texas home.

Green had given up hope of ever seeing Molly again and had even moved out of state when this past week she got a phone call that Molly had been found.

Last week Molly ended up at the Humane Society of North Texas as a stray. Luckily she had a microchip and a quick scan revealed Molly had an owner. When the shelter contacted Green she could hardly believe it.

“I said, ‘Oh my god! I can’t believe you found my baby,” said Green.

The staff at the shelter was just as thrilled about the situation.

“It was so exciting to talk to Joyce to tell her Molly was safe and sound and will be back soon,” said staff member Shelly Meeks. “I love that part of the job.”

One of the staff members will be taking Molly to be reunited with Green and the rest of her family in Kansas.

Green is excited to see Molly but also excited for Molly to be reunited with her 7-year-old autistic son. Even though Trent is only 7-years-old he still remembers his dog a he two shared a special bond.

“He was her best friend,” said Green. “They did everything together.” Now they will get to spend all their time together again.

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

Source: http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2013/04/dog-missing-for-four-years-to-be-reunited-with-her-family/

Thor, pitbull

The Incredible Journey of Thor the Pit Bull, Dog Lost and Found
How one pittie escaped his yard in San Antonio, got himself to Long Island, and then somehow made it all the way home.
Julia Szabo
May 16th 2012

It was a rough couple of weeks for the Laskowski family of San Antonio, Texas.

Thor in New York - a long way from home!

On April 26, Christopher Laskowski's dog Thor, a friendly 3-year-old pit bull, had escaped from the backyard via a hole in the fence. Christopher, who is 31 and suffers from degenerative disc disease, was inconsolable, and so was his other pittie, Thor's 14-year-old sister Athena. Christopher spent three or four hours each day looking for his lost friend, leaving the back gate open in hopes Thor would appear. The family checked local animal shelters and canvassed the neighborhood, but there was no sign of Thor. "I think somebody took him, because he'd gotten out before, but he always came back," Christopher says.

Like any dog lovers who've had a beloved pet go missing, the Laskowskis were beside themselves with worry, fearing the absolute worst. "I couldn't sleep," Christopher recalls. "Pretty much every night I stood outside by the door, worrying. It's your job to protect the dog you adopt; I felt like I'd failed him. It's terrible when you don't know what happened to your dog."

Then, on May 8, "I was at home and my cellphone rang," recalls Christopher's mother, Eileen, whose number is the backup on Thor's microchip. "The woman said, 'We found your dog Scrappy!' I said, 'If this is a joke, it isn't funny. Then I thought, Wait -- that could've been Thor's name at the shelter where Christopher adopted him. So I started crying and said, 'Where are you located?' And she said, 'Long Island, New York.' I said, 'Ma'am, please quit -- do you know where I am?! San Antonio!'"

But it wasn't a cruel prank -- Scrappy had indeed been Thor's shelter handle at the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services, and he was indeed in New York. In fifteen days, Thor had somehow managed to travel some 1,800 miles!

However he did it, Thor isn't telling. But the Laskowskis are convinced that somebody with cruel intentions stole him. "Maybe they picked him up and took him for a ride, intending to use him for dogfighting," Eileen says. "Then maybe they decided he was too sweet, so they dumped him."

A kindly police officer spotted Thor and -- realizing the handsome, muscular dog was 45 pounds of solid mush -- brought him to the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island, where a staffer called the numbers on his microchip.

The Laskowskis were overjoyed -- especially Christopher. "He's so important to me -- he's my baby boy," he says. "People treat you differently when you're disabled, but dogs never judge you; they just love you for who you are. My dogs know when I'm hurting, when I'm sad, and they do everything they possibly can to make me feel better."

Next came the challenge of transporting Thor back to Texas. The vet hospital connected the Laskowskis with Don Montes, licensed veterinary technician and owner of AmbuVet. Although air transport is not in his line -- AmbuVet is a go-to service used by many carless New Yorkers to transport dogs to and from animal hospitals; the vehicle provides critical patients with first aid and oxygen during the ride -- Don rose to the challenge.

"Something like this happens once in a blue moon, and this was an opportunity for me to give back," he says. "Plus, Thor is an awesome dog."

So, after a kind lady in nearby Rockport, Texas, donated $500 toward Thor's recovery ("That was such a blessing," Christopher says), and after experiencing firsthand the frustration pit bull owners encounter when trying to book air transport for their dogs, the Laskowskis decided to put Thor on a Delta Airlines cargo flight.

To ensure that Thor's voyage would be a first-class experience, Don undertook all the minutiae involved with shipping an animal. He acquired a sky kennel that was big and secure enough to hold a large dog; lined it with comfy, absorbent padding; and prepped the passenger for his trip by taking him on an exhilarating whirlwind tour of New York City. Don brought Thor to several dog parks, hoping the activity would tire him out so he'd sleep through the flight. "I wanted him to be nice and calm by the time we got to the airport," he says.

On Friday, May 11, at 6.30 p.m., Thor was homeward bound. "Don did everything, and he charged us just $200, which I thought was nothing in comparison to what he did to take care of Thor for us," says a grateful Eileen, who has noticed a big difference in Thor since his return.

The change was evident as soon as the family picked him up at the Delta cargo dock in San Antonio.

"It's like he left a boy and came back a man," Christopher concludes. "He's not as playful as he was. I'm still worried about letting him go outside -- he slept for, like, 11 hours when he got home, and he hasn't really left my side. I think he thinks something's going to happen again, so he stays pretty close to me. Thor used to like sleeping in his crate, but since he's come back, he sleeps with me more."

As for that hole in the fence? It's getting fixed this weekend.

Source: http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/thor-the-pit-bull

Grizz, Lab/Pit Mix

KC Woman Drives 600 Miles to Return Lost Dog
by Michelle Pekarsky
Posted on: 3:40 pm, February 1, 2012

MERRIAM, Kan. — Twelve hundred miles from home — a one-year-old Lab/Pit mix dog found in Merriam, Kansas will be returning home.

The one-year-old Lab/Pit mix dog whose family lives in Butte, Mont., was found thanks to a microchip embedded in the dog. And a volunteer has offered to drive Grizz the dog home.

The Heartland Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals Lost Pet and Intake Center accepted Grizz on Wednesday, Jan 25.

Using standard procedures, the center scanned Grizz for microchip identification and discovered contact information on his owners.

Apparently, someone in Butte, Mont., thought Grizz was a stray and picked him up during a road trip from Seattle to Texas, dropping him off in Kansas at the Heartland SPCA. When the Heartland SPCA contacted the owner, the owner was stunned that Grizz was still alive and well.

“He was very excited but he was also in disbelief that his dog was found all the way over here in Kansas,” said Wendy Blair with the SPCA.

The story gets even better.

Kathy Thies, a longtime Heartland SPCA volunteer, volunteered to drive Grizz half-way home, which amounts to a 600 mile trip to Cheyenne, Wyo.

“Really it all comes down to what goes around, comes around,” Thies said. “I hope there’s good karma!”

The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and Joe Hinkle with the SPCA says it’s the only reason Grizz is coming home.


“If not for the microchip, we would’ve never been able to find the owner,” Hinkle said. “The microchip was the only way that we were able to get Grizz home.”

Source: http://fox4kc.com/2012/02/01/kc-woman-drives-600-miles-to-return-lost-dog/