Mishka, a dog missing since last summer, was found more than 2,000 miles away in suburban Detroit. Her owners had been looking for her, putting flyers around the neighborhood and even on the back of their cars since her disappearance in summer 2023. Mehrad Houman and his family live in San Diego, far from where she was later found.
On March 28th, police in Harper Woods responded to a stray dog call and located a terrier mix near Lake St. Clair. Officers took the dog to The Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society, where they discovered that Mishka had an identity chip implanted in her. After scanning the chip, they called Houman to give him the good news. He was elated and hopped on a plane to Michigan to reunite with Mishka.
It turns out that 3-year-old Mishka wandered away from Houman’s workplace in July and never returned. Corinne Martin, director of the animal welfare group, says, “We think it was stolen, and then it was sold and ended up in Michigan.”
Veterinarian Nancie Pillsbury examined Mishka and gave her a rabies shot. Mishka was now free to go home. Pillsbury explains, “She was clean, well-fed. Whoever had her took good care of her.” The mystery of how Mishka reached Michigan remains unsolved, adding a touch of intrigue to her heartwarming story.
Many of these cases have happened worldwide, similar to Mishka’s case. A five-year-old golden retriever named Murphy went missing in Lake Tahoe. Desperate, his family left a blanket there, hoping it would attract him, and thankfully, it worked. The site manager found him sleeping on the blanket the night he was lost. Similarly, Gidget, a Jack Russell Terrier, made headlines in 2014 after being found in Portland, Oregon. Gidget and her family live in Pennsylvania, more than 2,700 miles from where she was found. Gidget’s reunion was only made possible by her microchip.
Over the years, missing dog cases have been increasing daily. From being lost a couple of miles away to across America, many dogs are being found worldwide due to microchips. This global trend highlights the power of this technology in reuniting lost pets with their owners, inspiring hope and reassurance in pet owners worldwide.
