Dog Reunited With Family After Missing For 12 Years
By Jason Hall
February 20, 2022
A missing California dog was reunited with her owner 12 years after initially going missing, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.
The department said an animal services officer received a report about a stray dog described as appearing "old and unwell" who was dropped off on a rural property outside of Stockton on February 10.
The officer scanned the dog for a tracking chip, which identified the canine as Zoey, who had been reported missing from Lafayette, California in 2010.
Zoey had been missing so long that the microchip company had actually listed her as "decreased" in their records in 2015, according to the department.
Fortunately, her owner, Michelle, who now lived in Benicia, still had the same phone number and was contacted to reunite with her beloved lost pet.
Missing for 12 Years!This one will hit you right in the feels! #FeelGoodFriday On February 10, 2022, Animal Services Officer Brandon Levin received a call regarding a stray dog who had been dropped off on a rural property outside Stockton. The caller said the dog appeared old and unwell. ASO Levin scanned the dog for a tracking chip, and to his surprise the dog, named Zoey, had been reported missing from Lafayette, California in 2010. Yes, 12 years ago! Zoey had been missing for so long, in 2015 the microchip company had actually listed her as “deceased” in their records. Even more amazing, the owners still had the same phone number, though they now live in Benecia. We met the owner Michelle in Rio Vista, where she and Zoey reunited after 12 years apart! #sanjoaquincountysheriff #animalservices #reunitedanditfeelssogood
Posted by San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office on Friday, February 18, 2022
Michelle was reunited with Zoey in Rio Vista, which was captured in a video shared by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office on Friday (February 18).
In the video, Michelle said she adopted the dog and her twin sister from the pound when she was six months old and had her for about six months before she went missing after she returned from going to the store "for about 20 minutes."
"I'm honestly still in shock," Michelle said of being reunited with Zoey. "I definitely didn't expect this to ever happen so I'm really excited to hopefully bring her back, get her healthy and let her live the rest of her life."