Sometimes going home takes a little patience, a good bit of time and a whole lot of luck. And that’s what Koki – a four-year-old poodle mix – had this past weekend.
The charming little dog had been visiting with her owner’s parents in Oakland when she was believed to have been stolen from their fenced yard. Stephanie, who got the year-old dog from a friend who was allergic to her, spent two months checking shelters and calling the microchip company where Koki was registered, but no luck. That was in January 2009!
Stephanie, who lives in San Jose, was heartbroken and never got another dog. Then this past Saturday she received a call from Oakland Animal Services: A dog with a microchip (a small tracking device the size of a grain of rice that is implanted in the animal’s shoulder area) that was registered to her had turned up at the shelter. The now four-year-old dog was scruffy and dirty and covered in fleas. But that didn’t dampen the reunion – Mom and pooch were excited to see one another. The poodle’s little tail did not stop wagging. “Our first stop is going to be Pet Food Express, to wash her and take care of the fleas,” Stephanie said.
This story is a great reminder of how important it is to microchip your companion animals. Collars with tags on them can fall off or be removed, but the microchip – providing it’s registered and the contact information is kept current – will always be there. Sometimes that “miracle” will happen: A missing furry family member will be found and the owner can be contacted and reunited with the lost loved one, just as happened to Stephanie and Koki.
We’ll never know where Koki spent the past 2.5 years, but her next stop will be home – at last!
