The poor five-year-old dog had disappeared following a storm in California.
Two months later, on 28th September, the pooch was found more than 2,000 miles from his home, in the state of Illinois.
A complete mystery
The dog was handed over to police as a lost animal. Officers used a scanner to check whether the dog had a microchip. Fortunately, Opie's chip was up to date. Once they scanned the chip, police and animal shelter staff were able to contact Opie's owner.
How did the dog manage to cross the country? The mystery remains unsolved. Even Opie's owner found it hard to believe. It took direct confirmation from the police for her to realise that her dog had been found more than 2,000 miles from home!
A happy reunion
On 29th September, the police department transferred Opie to DuPage County Animal Shelter to arrange his return. The owner booked a flight from California to Illinois and hired a car to collect her pooch from the shelter.
Shelter rescuers believe someone drove the dog to Illinois. Thankfully, due to the up-to-date information on the pooch's microchip, Opie was able to reunite with his family and return home safe and sound!
