One family’s unwavering hope — and commitment to their dog’s microchip — has cultivated a wonderful reunion, 10 years in the making.
The Florida crew lost their pup Cleo in 2014 when the inquisitive Cockapoo ran away from home, and despite never seeing her again, her family continued to update her microchip at all times. years since then, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay said in a Facebook post.
As time passed, many other pet owners might have thought they’d given up hope of ever seeing their furry friend again, but Cleo’s family held on to a piece of faith, even as they moved on. in Miami. And last week, those years of determination finally paid off when now 14-year-old Cleo came to HSTB.
“We were hoping for a happy ending and for her to be reunited with her owners, but we never imagined the joy her story would bring!” said the Facebook group.
A check on the stray’s microchip leads the HSTB staff to Luisa, who is in disbelief when told that her long-lost pet has been found as the rescuers don’t believe Cleo’s microchip has been kept up to date all that time.
On Saturday, Luisa drove five hours from her new home in Miami to Tampa Bay, where the long-awaited reunion took place. HSTB shared photos of the emotional moment, which featured a seemingly smiling Cleo.
“This shows the power and importance of the microchip and not giving up hope,” HSTB said in the post.
A microchip works by sending an identification number to a scanner passed over it, says the American Veterinary Medical Association. That identification number is linked to a database that contains information a pet owner chooses to provide when the chip is registered or when someone updates it, as in Cleo’s case.
While the devices don’t have GPS or tracking capabilities, they’re still considered one of a pet owner’s best bets for finding a lost animal.
An AVMA study of more than 7,7000 strays in 23 states found that microchipped lost dogs were returned to their owners at more than double the overall rate of stray dogs, while the difference of the rate for cats is more dramatic. The most common reason microchipped animals are not returned to their owners is that the database contains incorrect or disconnected contact information.
The AVMA recommends all pets have microchips for permanent identification purposes, but it also says there is no substitute for a collar with up-to-date identification tags. If the collar is lost or removed, however, the microchip may be the only way to locate the animal’s family.
Because of this, it recommends making sure your microchip is always registered with up-to-date information and asking your vet to scan it at least once a year to make sure it’s working properly.
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