July 1 (UPI) — A dog who went missing in Florida was reunited with his owner 7 years later when he ended up at an animal shelter in Michigan.
Eaton County Animal Control said in a Facebook post that the dog, named Sgt. Pepper, went missing from his owner’s Florida home in 2014, and his owner subsequently spotted a photo of the “Found” dog on Craigslist a short time later. But someone else claimed him before she could contact the finder.
Sgt. Pepper was reported stolen to police and the company that manages the information on his microchip, but there was no word of the canine’s fate until he was brought into Eaton County’s shelter in Charlotte on Monday.
The shelter scanned Sgt. Pepper for a microchip, and was able to contact the owner of the now-13-year-old Yorkshire terrier.
The woman booked a flight to Michigan and was reunited with Sgt. Pepper on Wednesday.
The shelter said there are still many unanswered questions about Sgt. Pepper’s long journey, but they were at least able to learn where he has been for the last few years.
“Sgt Pepper had been living with a family for the last five years who were unaware of his microchip and stolen status,” the shelter said. “We are grateful for their understanding that Sgt Pepper had to be reunited with his original family, and we ask that people please be sensitive toward their situation.”
The shelter said the reunion highlights the importance of having pets microchipped.
“Sgt Pepper’s microchip contact information had been updated as recently as February 2020. [We were] able to contact the owner within minutes of having the dog in possession,” the shelter said. “How amazing is that?”