Disbelief As California Dog Missing for 5 Years Returns Home — All Thanks to This One Overlooked Thing
There’s a quiet torment that lingers inside you when a beloved dog goes missing. This is exactly what one California owner experienced back in May 2021 when her cherished Dachshund mix, Choco, disappeared from home without a trace. (Watch Video Below)
At first, Choco’s family was optimistic he’d be back in no time. They searched desperately for him, stapling flyers everywhere, asking neighbors, and even checking in with local shelters. But despite their best efforts, every promising lead only ended in heartbreak. What the family never imagined was that day one of Choco’s disappearance would turn into five long years without him.
@cnn Five years after her dog Choco went missing, Patricia got a call she wasn’t expecting. He had been found in Lincoln, Michigan, 2000 miles away from his home in Sacramento, California. Thanks to the help of volunteers, Choco has now been returned to his rightful owners.
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A Miraculous Discovery
By the time five years had passed, Choco’s family had already exhausted all hope of ever finding him. They settled for the possibility that Choco was gone forever, but the ache of not knowing what happened to him haunted them every day. Unknown to them, Choco was very much alive, far away from home.
Choco was recently discovered tied to a fence somewhere in Detroit, Michigan, over 2,000 miles away from his Sacramento family. It’s still unclear how Choco ended up in Michigan and where he lived during the five years of his disappearance. Once rescued, Choco was taken to a Michigan-based shelter, where staff immediately scanned him for a microchip and found one. The shelter was able to get in touch with Choco’s family in California and made arrangements to fly him home.
To Choco’s owner, news of his discovery felt nothing short of surreal.
“Extremely shocked….I called the number, she’s like, ‘Yes, he’s in Lincoln. You’re talking about Lincoln, California, right?! No, Lincoln, Michigan!” Patricia, Choco’s overjoyed owner, told CNN News.
The Power of Microchipping Your Dog
Sweet Choco is now enjoying the new year with the loving family that never stopped missing him when he disappeared five years ago. And while his lost-and-found story sounds too unbelievable to fully make sense of, we can’t ignore the one thing that made it all possible: a microchip.
Choco’s reunion with his family wasn’t a matter of sheer luck. Were it not for this tiny device, Choco, now in his senior years, would likely be stuck at the shelter waiting for a forever home. The best thing about microchipping is that it’s a permanent safety measure, unlike dog collars and tags that can easily fall off or be removed. With a microchip, your furry friend will be walking around armed with reliable proof of their identity & where they belong should they get lost.
So, if you haven’t yet microchipped your dog, we hope that Choco’s miraculous reunion encourages you to do so. Unsure of where to start? Check out our guide on where to get your dog microchipped for free.
