Florida Shelter Staff Help Reunite Yorkshire Terrier With Her Worried Family After Nearly a Year Apart
As a dog owner, there are few things that terrify me more than one of my boys going missing. Even though I know and trust my neighbors, I don't trust what my dogs may do in a panic. It can take mere seconds for something scary to happen, so I can hardly fathom the fear and sadness of a fur baby going missing for a year.
Sadly, that was the reality for one Florida dog owner and her adorable Yorksire Terrier, Bella. The little dog had been missing for nearly a year when she found herself safe in the hands of rescuers at the Humane Society of Broward County, but shelter volunteers still had the challenge of locating her owner.
In a heartwarming May 8 TikTok video, the shelter revealed exactly how they set up the perfect reunion.
What a relief that Bella is back in her owner's arms! I can't imagine the kind of worry and sadness this dog owner had been through over the last dozen months, but I can see the joy on her face now that she has her girl back. I think any loving dog owner would have the same reaction!
Related: Humane Society Steps Up to Help Trucker Reunite with His Lost Dog
But how did Bella and her mom find each other again? Once the lovely little Yorkie dog was in the care of the rescuers, they used a scanner to check for a microchip. It sounds like it wsn't a straightforward process to get in touch with her owner, but after a week, they were finally together again.
Although the dog rescuers at @humanebroward help so many lost, stray, and adoptable dogs find their Happily Ever Afters, they happily admitted that this story will stay in their hearts for a long time. After seeing this heartwarming reuinion--it's easy to see why!
How Do Microchips Work?
Even though life-saving microchip technology has been around for several decades, not many dog owners know the ins and outs of microchips. And that's OK! While the popular misconception is that microchips work like a GPS that can be located at any time, the reality is the other way around.
Instead, when a lost dog is brought to a shelter or vet, they will scan the dog for a microchip which digitally contains their owners contact information. However, things can get complicated if an owner does not update their information or give their dog a microchip to begin with.
While the vast majority of dogs experience no issues from their microchip besides a pinch during insertion, rare situations can happen when the dog's body rejects the chip. I only know because this happened to my dog! His body began rejecting the chip about 3 years after it was inserted, but the vet was able to remove it with no further problems.
While I have to rely on an ID tag and collar for my dog, microchips have helped so many other dogs--like Bella--find their ways back home. If that's not a reason to chip your dog, I don't know what is!
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