A dog who went missing in Florida was reunited with its owner 7 years later after ending up at an animal shelter in Michigan.
According to Eaton County Animal Control, the dog, named Sgt. Pepper, went missing from his owner’s Florida home in 2014. Though his owner discovered a “found” posting for him on Craigslist a short time later, Sgt. Pepper had already been “claimed by someone who was not his real owner” when his family reached out to collect the pup, the department said in a statement.
Sgt. Pepper was reported stolen to police and the company that manages the information on his microchip.
On Monday (June 28), Sgt. Pepper was found in Charlotte and ended up in the hands of Eaton County Animal Control. After scanning Sgt. Pepper for a microchip, the shelter 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.
“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 microchipping your pets.
“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?”
