Reunited in Alabama

“Do you ever hear of or see those stories about pets who have been reunited with their families after crazy amounts of time missing all because of their microchips? I know the first thing you think is, “Well, that’s just never gonna happen to me!” Or, “They probably make most of this up to sell microchips.” Or, “My dog would never get lost, or be stolen.” Let me tell you those are all the exact things I told myself…

My name is Charity and I raise Labrador Retrievers. I first purchased microchips to better increase the sell of my pups. That little detail that they’ve been microchipped just sounds good right? I also chipped all my breeder dogs as well because I can’t convince people it’s a good thing if I haven’t done it for my own dogs. Back in the early spring of 2017, I placed a microchip order to my sweet sales rep, Amy, at AKC Reunite.

My roommate at the time had a little Yorkie who lived with us at our small house out in the country where everybody knows everybody and you would never in a million think someone might take your dog. This area is where all the neighbors know each other’s pets by name. So, of course, I encouraged my roommate to let me microchip her Yorkie, Sven, “just in case”. One day she let Sven out to have his 10 minutes potty break just like every day, she came back inside the house and 10 minutes later when she went to let him in, Sven was nowhere to be found.

We thought the worst had happened, (coyote, hawk, wolf, another dog?) He was just gone! After months of searching, posting online, talking to neighbors, we had given up. Eight months later I received a call from a vet clinic about 800 miles away in Fort Myers, Florida. Someone had found him and brought him in. They scanned for a microchip first and called me. At this point I’m crying, thinking how can this be that he’s actually still alive and 11 hours away!!! Then my roommate and I started our plans to go get him. Later that same day, a truck driver who is a friend of ours told us he was less than an hour away from where Sven was and could pick him up on the backhaul. Sven was home with his family the very next day!!! Please let this message speak to you, microchip your pets!! It really could save their lives and bring them home if they ever get lost!!” -Charity P., Higdon, Alabama