On a day-to-day basis we take in an average of 52 strays. Yearly, our Animal Control Officers respond to around 16,000 calls. To say we’re always busy is quite the understatement!
February 1, 2018, was no different.
We first received a call in the afternoon from a high speed railroad worker. They stated that they found a dog tied to a van by the river. The dog was on the roof of the van and was trying to figure out how to get down. When our Animal Control Officer arrived to the location, the dog was safely on the ground. They were told by the van owner that they’d found the dog a couple weeks prior, but were unable to find the owner. After scanning the dog, our Animal Control Officer found a microchip and immediately called the owner.
According to the owner, somebody had jumped his fence on December 26, 2017, and took his dog, Bruno (brown and white Pit Bull) off his tether. The thief threw Bruno over the fence to another man, and they both fled the scene. Bruno’s owner chased the men, but was unable to catch up to them. Following Bruno’s sad abduction, his owner scoured the neighborhood, and got a lead from another neighbor. When he confronted the family, he was given the terrible news that they had sold Bruno. Bruno’s owner thought he would never see his owner again – so imagine the excitement when he received our call!
While Bruno’s owner was receiving his good news, we also received another call around the same time from a woman who found a stray dog at a bus stop by Fresno City College. The caller stated that she thought the dog may have been hit by a car, as it had a very noticeable limp. Our Animal Control Officer was able to locate and rescue the stray. When she scanned the dog it had a chip, though the microchip company said it belonged to a family in Sanger.
This dog’s owner was elated to hear the news that her dog, Mochi (black Lab), had been found. Mochi had disappeared from their yard on January 26, 2018, and had no idea how she managed to trek from Sanger to Fresno! Mochi was very excited, too, as she would barely stand still for the photo with her mama!
A third dog, Chaco, also was happily reunited with his owner. Chaco was found on Princeton and was returned to his home nearby on Amherst.
And then, just a few days later, there was yet another amazing microchip related reunion! On the afternoon of February 8, 2018, our animal control officers brought a beautiful stray Alaskan Malamute into our shelter. Luckily, when the dog was scanned, it had a microchip! We learned the dog, named Griffin resided in Dinuba with a man named Joe.
The next day, we gave Joe a call, to share the great news. Though Joe initially responded with confusion, it hit him: Griffin had been missing for 2 years! He was then ecstatic that we somehow managed to find his dog. Griffin and Joe were finally reunited on Friday, February 9, 2018.
We are so happy for all of these dogs and their owners!
Our Animal Control Officers will always try to reunite the animal with their owner. If the owner is not home, the contact information is inaccurate, or the owner cannot be reached, then the animal is taken to the Shelter.
Microchips are essential and significantly increase the likelihood of reunion if your lost pet is found by someone! We offer microchipping year round at very affordable prices at our Animal Center. Our standard price is $25, except for every Wednesday when the price is dropped to $15.
For more information about microchipping, please visit our website at https://ccspca.com/programs-and-services/low-cost-microchipping/
