A 13-year-old arthritic dog who couldn’t have gotten far on his own recently went missing, only to turn up more than 200 miles from home.
Captain the dog spent a day in late May roaming his family’s property in West Plains, Missouri. This was a normal activity for him and his two doggie siblings. However, what wasn’t normal was that while the other two returned in time for dinner, Captain didn’t.
Frantic, his owner Lisa Wood searched for the senior pup and posted on Facebook to get any leads. Nothing came from that, but that Sunday, she got a surprising call: A shelter more than 200 miles away in Bentonville, Arkansas, had Captain.
With his age and health conditions, Captain hadn’t wandered all that distance on his own. A well-meaning woman had mistaken him for a lost dog and brought him to the shelter. Fortunately, Captain was microchipped, and a scan helped the shelter contact his family to get him home. The story is a reminder of the importance of microchips.
Lisa says, “If Captain wasn’t microchipped, we’d still be looking for him.”
Captain’s journey back home also involved some teamwork. The shelter where he’d been taken didn’t have the resources to drive him all the way back home. Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, which focuses on animal welfare and is working toward a future in which all shelters are no-kill, has a Pet Resource Center in northwest Arkansas. Their Training and Behavior Specialist Dani Rakestraw drove Captain halfway to Lisa, in Branson, Missouri, where they’d reunite and finish the rest of the journey home.
After a smile-filled, tail-wagging reunion, the Wood car was filled with comfort items like blankets and toys to make the trip easier.
Now that he’s back home, Lisa says, “Captain is an absolute joy. We’ve had him since he was just a few months old, and he’s just the smartest dog. He’s really part of the family – he loves my kids, and he even helps me teach and train the other dogs.”
He’s back at that role thanks to his microchip and animal welfare professionals who go above and beyond to ensure animals get their happy endings.
To read more about Best Friends’ work, click here!
