A dog at a Florida animal shelter recently reunited with her former caregiver – after two years in residence! The reunion was made possible, in part, by the dog’s microchip.
Dog endures two years at animal shelter
According to the Miami Herald, Nala spent two years at Marion County Animal Services. Her residence there was one of the longest for the shelter’s canine clients. She originally arrived in May 2021. After a failed adoption, it seemed she might never find her forever home.
The shelter described Nala as “gentle and affectionate.” She enjoyed dog playgroups, going on walks, and swimming. She also “had her fair share of drive-thru chicken nuggets,” according to a Facebook post by the shelter. But no family stepped forward to adopt her.
Caregiver reunited with dog thanks to microchip
When a new director arrived at Marion County Animal Services, she decided to look deeper into Nala’s microchip history. She found the dog’s original foster parent, who thought Nala was living with the person who adopted her years ago. However, that person died. After the death, Nala’s life was “turned upside down,” and she bounced around between multiple homes. So, the shelter’s new director reached out to the original caregiver.
“With fingers crossed for luck, our director asked the original caregiver if she would consider adopting her and putting an end to her extensive time in our shelter,” Marion County Animal Services wrote on Facebook. “SHE SAID YES!”
When the original caregiver and Nala reunited, “we could tell that Nala absolutely recognized her — after all those years,” the shelter shared on Facebook. “Our hearts were so full and we couldn’t believe she was leaving.”
While sharing the miraculous story of this shelter dog reunited with her caregiver, the shelter took the opportunity to remind pet parents to microchip their pets. And don’t forget to update your contact information as time goes on! That way, if you get separated from your dog, there’s hope of a reunion.
“Please let this story be your push to update your pet’s microchip,” the shelter wrote. “Without the microchip, this day would not have happened for Nala.”
