Microchip helps reunite dog with owner after going missing for 1 year

Microchip helps reunite dog with owner after going missing for 1 year

(West Valley City Animal Services)


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WEST JORDAN — A West Jordan woman is crediting microchip technology for reuniting her with her beloved pet a full year after it went missing.

Carol Lopez said she inherited her pet chihuahua, Tank, in 2010 after her mother died. Since the dog had been her mother's, it had sentimental value so Lopez was devastated when 6-year-old Tank went missing in August 2014.

"I let her out like I always do," Lopez said. "I let her stay out there awhile in the day if it's nice. It's all fenced. I've never had any problems before and I'd had her for a couple years. I went out to let her in and she was gone."

Lopez said she'd previously had Tank microchipped so she called all the animal shelters in the hopes someone had located her and could match her information. However, none of the shelters had her, leading Lopez to believe that her pet had been taken by someone. Lopez put up fliers and posted online, but after a few weeks she thought she'd never see Tank again.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, Lopez said she got a call from a West Valley City Animal Services employee saying they had found Tank.

"I just ran down there," Lopez said. "I couldn't believe it. I was so happy. You can't even imagine. It was really emotional."

West Valley City Animal Services administrator Chris Curtis said one of the shelter's officers found Tank walking on a street in Taylorsville. The chihuahua was taken to the shelter where she was scanned. Employees located the microchip and contacted the company to get Lopez's information.

"Chips are really valuable to have in your animal," Curtis said. "If you love your animal and want to get them back, you chip them."

(Photo: West Valley City Animal Services)
(Photo: West Valley City Animal Services)

Curtis said a microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted just under the animal's skin. Essentially any pet can be microchipped after they are weaned, which typically occurs when they are 6 weeks old, Curtis said. The owner's information is stored in a company database and when the microchip is scanned, it brings up the contact information of the company. Microchipping typically costs around $20.

Curtis said most microchipped pets are reunited with their owners within a day of going missing so Tank's case was very unique. She said a microchipped Siamese cat was recently located in South Salt Lake and reunited with its Ogden owner after going missing for a year as well.

"A lot of people will find a loose animal and instead of turning them over to us, they'll wind up keeping him or whatever," Curtis said. "And then they never get back home until maybe they get loose again and we wind up with them and we can run and check to see if they have a chip."

Curtis recommends that all pet owners microchip their animals and that if you find a stray animal, to always turn it in to a shelter or animal rescue facility.

"I would have never found her if it wasn't for that chip," Curtis said.

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