It started earlier this month with a call about a stray dog, and ended with a "special weekend" 12 years in the making, per KCRA. NBC News reports that on Feb. 10, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office received a call that a dog had been dropped off at a remote property near Stockton, Calif., with the caller noting the dog seemed "old and unwell," per the sheriff's office. Brandon Levin, a local animal services officer, headed out to the property to retrieve the dog, and when he scanned the animal for a tracking chip, he got quite the surprise.
It turns out the dog, named Zoey, had been reported missing from Lafayette, about an hour away, in 2010—so long that the microchip company had declared her dead seven years ago, the sheriff's office notes. Luckily, Zoey's owner, identified only as Michelle, hadn't ever changed her phone number, and so authorities were able to track her down. Michelle explained she'd adopted Zoey and her sister from a pound 12 years ago, and that just six months after she'd brought the dogs home, Zoey had disappeared one day while Michelle was at the store.
The sheriff's office posted video of Michelle and Zoey's reunion on Friday, showing Michelle gently petting her long-lost pup, who lay quietly on some blankets in the back of a vehicle. The sheriff's office notes that because they were able to get in touch with Michelle so quickly, Zoey didn't have to spend even one night in a shelter, per Today. "I'm still in shock," Michelle says in the video, noting she has a 13-year-old dog at home who will now be Zoey's playmate. "I definitely didn't expect this to ever happen." She adds that she's looking forward to bringing Zoey home to nurse her back to health. (More missing dog stories.)
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