Why it's important to keep MicroChip Information Up to Date

[Carole]

Dog found after missing for four years

Jun 5, 2010 5:01:30 AM

Losing a pet can be a stressful time. Not knowing whether or not they're safe and if they'll ever return can be very difficult for a family. But when a pet is found and returned it can be a joyous occasion, Gwynne Wicks found out recently, reports Gothamist.com.

Four years ago Gwynne Wicks's dog, Cooper, went missing. After searching for him to no avail, the Wicks all but lost hope. To their surprise, Cooper had been alive this whole time, and only 17 miles from their home.

Cooper was found by a local animal shelter and was taken in. They searched for a microchip that helps establish if the pet has an owner, and they were able to find one which in turn lead them to the Wicks.

Ms Wicks was understandably shocked to learn that her dog was found alive four years after he went missing, but when she went to pick him up it was like he never left.

"He turned around and looked at me and gave me a big lick," she said to the news source. "I said, 'that's him!'"

Having a microchip implanted or using a collar with tags ensures that if your pet ever goes missing, they are more likely to be found and returned than those without any identification.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clic ... r-years357


ZEN'S STORY

Reunited After 18 Months Apart
18 months ago I lived in San Diego when my dog ran away. I posted signs in the neighborhood, local stores, used a pet amber alert that called a radius of 10 miles and 500 calls, called all the shelters, and posted numerous ads on craigslist.org, but after 4 months of searching, there was still no sign of finding him.

Two months later, I moved back to Washington, DC, praying my dog had found a home with a loving owner.

Two weeks ago, I get a phone call from the San Diego shelter, they scanned his chip and they found ZEN!!!! He was well taken care of, had recently been groomed, did not have any wounds and was as friendly as ever.

He must have ran from the people who had found him originally him, a neighbor found him, turned him into the shelter, they scanned his HomeAgain chip and.....boom after 18 months missing...Zen and I are reunited and it feels so good.

I had to have him shipped from California to DC, but ultimately, we haven't skipped a beat. It took him 10 minutes to walk in the house in DC and he remembered he was home.

Thank you HomeAgain for being such a reliable company. I have recommended your services to all my pet owning friends.

Posted By: Genevieve, Washington, DC - 5/31/2010
Pet Name: Zen Species: Dog Breed: Yorkshire Terrier Sex: Male

[Carole]

By KAREN WORKMAN
Of The Oakland Press

http://theoaklandpress.com/articles/201 ... 665724.txt

Click to enlarge


Amy and Brad Davis with their dogs Gizmo, left and Jake. The Davis family got Jake in 2003 and he was stolen from their Lake Orion backyard when he was six months old. Jake was found earlier this week at a shelter in Kentucky and Brad drove down and picked him up Wednesday. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Seven years ago, Brad and Amy Davis’ first dog — a 6-month-old Weimaraner puppy named Jake — disappeared from their Orion Township backyard.

Days, weeks and months and finally years went by with no sign that Jake would ever return.

So when The Davises got a call Tuesday that a dog belonging to them had turned up at a Kentucky animal shelter, their first thought was that the shelter had the wrong number.

“I wasn’t even going to call them back,” Brad said.

But the couple had just gotten back from a vacation in Kentucky, where their 5-year-old son, Max, competed in BMX racing, on Monday. The Davises thought perhaps a friend’s dog got left behind and some sort of mix-up led the shelter to contact them.

When Brad called back, an employee at the Estill County Animal Shelter explained that when a wand was waved over the dog to check if he had a microchip implanted, The Davises’ contact information showed up.

“I said, ‘That’s my dog from seven years ago that was taken from my back yard!’” Brad said.

It was the day after Thanksgiving in 2003 when Amy put Jake outside, his collar securely connected to a chain, while she took the kids to the Great Lakes Crossing mall to have holiday photos taken.

“He had the bluest eyes as a puppy,” Brad recalled.

When Amy returned, the blue-eyed pup was gone — his collar unlatched and lying on the ground, still attached to the chain.

The couple felt certain someone had stolen their puppy, but told their young children that Jake “was out playing in the woods with the deer.”

They circulated fliers and offered a reward for quite a while, hoping whoever took Jake would give him back. Nothing happened.

It’s still unclear what happened to Jake or where he’s been all these years, but the Davises believe someone ended up caring for him. Brad explained that a farmer in Kentucky spotted Jake running loose on his property, fed him for a few days and then dropped him off at the shelter.

Ironically, the couple decided months ago to give another shot at dog ownership. They selected Gizmo, a Maltese and Dachshund mix. Amy said she wanted a small dog that could stay inside all the time, so the dog couldn’t be stolen like Jake was.

Now 6 months old, they recently declined having Gizmo microchipped because, “It didn’t work the first time.”

With Jake back at home thanks to his microchip, they’re reversing that decision and will be headed back to the veterinarian’s office soon to have Gizmo microchipped, too.

Jake also went to the veterinarian’s office on Thursday after having been home for less than 24 hours. While skinny, he appears to be otherwise healthy.

After a long trip to Kentucky on Tuesday to pick up Jake and bring him home, Brad said he was surprised that the dog began barking when he pulled in the driveway to his house.

The couple reported that Jake spent a lot of time sniffing out the yard and house last night but wasn’t shy about hopping into bed with them.

“We’re really stoked,” Brad said. “(My daughter) said, ‘I always knew he was going to come back home.’ ”