His family was distraught, but they never gave up hope that their beloved dog would return.
Microchips have helped reconnect many dogs and humans, but they are not routinely scanned all at once. A pit bull named Harley has been missing for eight years despite having a current microchip. His family was devastated, but they never gave up hope that their dear dog would return.
When someone found Harley, the puppy was underweight and had overgrown nails. Despite everything, the puppy remained cheerful and affectionate. His story has a happy ending, as he teaches families who have lost their dogs not to lose hope.
Missing for eight years.
Betsy DeHaan let her dogs go about their business outside her Florida home in February 2014. When she looked away, the dogs bolted into the nearby woods, leaving Harley nowhere to be found. DeHaan hoped someone would find the pup and scan his microchip because Harley was only a few years old at the time.
“We searched for missing pet posters and posted them.” “We never stopped looking,” DeHaan said.
Unfortunately, years passed without a sighting. Harley has been gone for eight years, but his family has never forgotten him. DeHaan was reminiscing about Harley and praising what a wonderful dog he was when she received an unusual phone call.
Someone texted DeHaan to inform her that they had found her missing dog and that it was at Lee County Pet Services. At first, DeHaan thought it was a joke.
"I was like, 'Is this a scam?' “Because we were talking about it that morning,” DeHaan said. I got the message, and you know how you think Google is always going after your ads?" I'm like, "This is a scam." "This isn't real."
Incredible surprise.
But that wasn't a trick. “Harley” was the actual name of the dog at the Florida shelter. The severely malnourished pup was found by Angie Bray, who rushed him to Cypress Lake Animal Hospital. DeHaan's number was found after someone scanned Harley's microchip.
"It made me cry." “It was absolutely terrible to think about being separated from my animals and not being able to find them,” Bray said.
When Harley disappeared, DeHaan migrated from Florida to Missouri, but refused to give up. She drove nearly 1,000 miles to pick him up and was in tears before she even saw him.
Harley's tail wagged wildly as one of the employees held him close to his mother, giving her several kisses. He is much older than the last time DeHaan met him, yet he is still full of love and giving.
This story is a great reminder for dog owners to microchip their pets. No matter how long they have been missing, this may help them return home. Make sure your dog's tag and microchip provide your current contact information.
Watch the emotional reunion here.