The recent reunion of Florida dog owners and their missing Cockapoo, who had been missing for 10 years, shows the importance of updating a pet’s microchip.
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB) shared photos of the emotional reunion and Cleo the Cockapoo’s story in an Instagram post Wednesday,
HSTB said the dog recently arrived at the shelter as a stray. When the dog came in, rescue staff scanned Cleo for a microchip and found one full of contact information. The information led to Cleo’s owner, Luisa, who “was in disbelief when we called her because Cleo (as we learned her name) ran away TEN YEARS AGO!” shared HSTB.
The shelter continued, “They never gave up hope and continued to update her microchip in the slim hope of reuniting, even after moving to Miami!”
On Saturday, Luisa drove five hours from their new home in Miami to Tampa Bay to reunite with Cleo.
“We were hoping for a happy ending and reunification with her owners, but we didn’t anticipate the joy her story brought!” HSTB Instagram post added.
“This shows the power and importance of the microchip and never gives up hope,” the headline concluded.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In late February, an Ohio dog owner named Hannah was also reunited with her long-lost puppy, a dog named Will.
Hannah’s keen eye and instinctive love for Will helped her identify her dog when Clear the Clermont County Animal Shelter — an animal welfare nonprofit that helps find homes for animals at the Clermont County Animal Shelter — posted about him on Facebook.
A cancer survivor’s missing dog has been found after a week lost in extreme cold in Canada
Hannah contacted the organization and included details of when Will – who had renamed the shelter Rome – went missing in 2019.
The Clermont County Animal Shelter suggested Hannah meet the puppy at a Valentine’s Day adoption event. When the dog’s owner arrived at the event, it was clear that the dog she had spotted online was her dog that had gone missing five years earlier.
The organization wrote on social media that “the reunion was nothing short of magical, a testament to the unwavering loyalty and love that exists between people and their four-legged friends.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education