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Dog Reunited With Owners After 4 Years

Pet Stop • Jan 31, 2013

Four years ago, a black-and-white dog named Oreo slipped out of an open gate and disappeared. His owners put up fliers and waited for phone calls, but after a while, they gave up hope of every seeing Oreo again. 

Then, this week, a humane officer spotted a dog with an obvious leg injury and took him to the humane society for an exam. They found a broken kneecap and dislocated him, but they also found one more thing: a microchip.

When scanned, the microchip held all of the information about Oreo's original owners, and after four years, he'll be on his way back home. He's going to need surgery to repair his injuries--most likely caused by a hit from a car--but he's in otherwise perfect health.

Unfortunately, the dog's original owner passed away last year, but her husband was thrilled to see Oreo. "To get a dog back that you thought was gone for good is pretty crazy. It's proof that it does work," said Brandon Springer, the owner's grandson. 

How to Keep Your Pet Safe

Hundreds of pet owners a year experience a pet running away, but there are measures you can take to keep it from happening to you. Not all lost pet stories end this well, so prevention is the key. 

  • Install an electric pet fence to keep your dog in the yard--gate or no gate--and keep the batteries fresh.
  • If you do use a yard with a fence and a gate, make sure that the fence is not tall enough for your pet to jump.
  • Frequently inspect your fence for holes and loose boards.
  • Always securely latch the gate.

Also, like Oreo's owners, have a microchip injected into your pet. It's an inexpensive, non-invasive way of keeping track of your pet if he or she runs away.

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