Microchip Mix-Up Nearly Separates Dog from Family: A Cautionary Tale for Pet Owners

Charlotte, NC – A local pet owner, Ariel, recently experienced a harrowing ordeal when her beloved 13-year-old dog, Mochi, went missing from her yard. The incident, which occurred after Mochi's ID tag was temporarily removed, quickly escalated into a bureaucratic nightmare at the local animal shelter.Mochi was found by a neighbor and taken to Animal Care & Control. Upon scanning, the shelter staff discovered a microchip registered to a previous owner, identified only as Melissa, from whom Ariel had adopted Mochi eight years prior. Despite Ariel providing extensive proof of ownership, including a decade of photos, videos, and up-to-date rabies paperwork, the shelter's policy prioritized the microchip registration.Ariel faced the distressing prospect of Mochi being held for an additional ten days while the shelter attempted to contact the registered owner via mail. 'I was hysterically crying at this point because the dog I've spent the last eight years loving, training, and caring for, is now being offered to someone who possibly hasn't seen her since 2011 or before,' Ariel stated.Determined to reunite with Mochi, Ariel's partner located Melissa through property records and social media. Melissa, the original owner, promptly contacted the shelter to authorize Mochi's release, expressing indignation that Mochi was held when she had a loving home.Within an hour of Melissa's authorization, Ariel was able to legally adopt Mochi again and update the microchip information to reflect her current ownership. Mochi, who lived another two years as a cherished family member before passing peacefully at age 15, returned home. The incident serves as a stark reminder for all pet owners to regularly check and update their pets' microchip details to prevent similar heartbreaking situations.

Newsweek

one month ago

Woman thought dog's microchip would reunite them—horror at what scan finds

Ariel Wolf shared her rescue dog Mochi's story in the hopes others might avoid the mistakes she made.