Tag Archives: microchip hunters

Flor Reunited With Her Family After 12 Years Thanks to Microchip Hunters

FLOR – Reunited after 12 YEARS because of her microchip and the kind people who worked together to get her home!

Fifteen-year-old Flor was found in Gary, Indiana, by Mack, a storm worker from out of state. Because the nearby animal shelter was flooded, Mack had taken her to Griffith Indiana Animal Control & Shelter, where she was treated for fleas.

Mack had Flor scanned and a microchip was found but hit a dead end. The chip had been registered in 2013, but the phone number was no longer current. Flor, born in 2011, had been missing for 12 years.

On the recommendation of Debbie A. and other supporters of Microchip Hunters, Mack sent us Flor’s microchip information for help. Jane also messaged us to let us know Flor was safe at Griffith Animal Control & Shelter and shared a personal contact in case we found her family.

After researching the owner, it appeared she had once lived in Chicago but now lived in Evanston. Additional background searches turned up phone numbers that looked like they might be current.

And sure enough, I got a call back right away.

When I explained why I was calling, Flor’s owner was crying and shaking. This, I was not expecting!

“You found Flor? OMG, OMG… you have Flor?” The tears were flowing, mine too!

Flor was her “soul” dog. She had gone missing 12 years earlier with another dog who was not microchipped. Because Flor was chipped, this incredible reunion was possible. Sadly, the other dog was never found. Or maybe she was… but without a microchip, there was no way to identify her and connect her back to her family.

Flor’s owner talked about Flor to her kids to this day, and today this dream came true.

Flor’s family didn’t have dependable transportation to Griffith, so I reached out to Tonya at Evanston Animal Shelter. We know they are all about these happy reunions! By the next day, Tonya had arranged for volunteer Gillian to pick Flor up and bring her to Evanston for her family. Griffith Animal Control & Shelter also waived all fees and provided flea and deworming medication.

From Mack finding Flor, to Debbie and others recommending Microchip Hunters, Jane helping Griffith and Microchip Hunters connect, Microchip Hunters finding a current number for her family and coordinating, Griffith caring for her, and Tonya (Evanston Animal Shelter) and volunteer Gillian helping get her to Evanston…

Flor’s family is incredibly grateful to everyone who helped, and so are we. What a joyful day for them. Microchips keep famiies together, make sure yours is current today.

Welcome home, Flor, you were missed for 12 years. That is long enough!!!

NBC News Coverage

New Illinois Microchip Law Will Help More Lost Pets Get Home

Microchip Hunters is excited to share some great news! SB2891 has been officially signed by Governor Pritzker!

This new law includes important provisions for Illinois that will help reunite more lost pets with their families:

“The animal shelter or animal control facility shall register the microchip in a national database with the adoptive owner’s information at the time of adoption.” “The animal shelter or animal control facility shall retain documentation of the microchip and registration, which shall be searchable by microchip number.”

“If, at any time after adoption, the adopted animal comes into the possession of an animal control agency, a law enforcement agency, another animal shelter, or a veterinarian and the agency, shelter, or veterinarian requests information pertaining to the identity and whereabouts of the animal’s adopter or the history of the animal, the adopting agency shall, within one business day, provide that information to the requesting agency, shelter, or veterinarian.”

Microchip Hunters was honored to play a small part in helping get this effort started. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Illinois Animal Control Association and to everyone who dedicated their time, hard work, and persistence to making this happen. We are also grateful to everyone who supported this important legislation every step of the way.

This is a significant step forward that will help more lost pets find their way back home where they belong. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have for animals, shelters, veterinarians, and the families who love them.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!

Illinois Microchip Hunters

Zoey,
Senior Boxer

Lost Dogs Illinois has been helping Chicago Animal Care & Control (CACC) with dead end microchips, microchips that no long have current contact information. CACC staff do the best they can, but It is sometimes impossible to find an owner using the available information and given time constraints. However, Lost Dogs Illinois has volunteers who can dedicate hours to tracing disconnected phone numbers and researching online to find relatives of the owner. Sometimes this all comes together in a way that brings tears to your eyes.

A sweet old senior Boxer recently ended up at CACC. The microchip was not registered, but information showed the dog had been adopted out by Anti-Cruelty and they had owner information. It turned out the two owners had split and the girlfriend kept the dog. We reached the boyfriend. He discussed it with his ex and they decided their dog would be better off with him. Needless to say that senior Boxer is now safe at home. The Boxer did not need a home, the Boxer needed to go home! If you would like to learn sleuthing skills to get lost dogs home or if you know a shelter who would like this free service, contact this page. 

BTW – the boxer’s name is Zoey!