In the UK, to chip a dog costs between £10 and £20: not a lot when we consider how useful a chip is in reuniting dog and owner. That small one-off cost could mean the difference between a dog being returned to its rightful owner, or having to settle in with a new family.
In the United States the cost is a little more, but that did not deter the Vasquez family from Texas from administering their beloved Chihuahua King with the implant. Their decision to do so later proved invaluable.
The mystery of the disappearing dog
In 2014 King was playing in the front garden of the family home in San Antonio, Texas. It was a rainy day, and King’s owner Debra Vasquez had allowed him outside alone and without a collar.
Ms Vasquez and her daughter Danae soon realised to their horror that King had vanished. Their first thought was that the little dog had escaped from his paddock, but then it dawned on them that he may have been taken.
After two months searching tirelessly, mother and daughter accepted defeat. Although heartbroken, they were forced to move on with their lives.
A call out of the blue
Earlier this month – six years after King’s disappearance – Vasquez received a call from an animal shelter in Florida. Workers at the shelter had scanned a dog that had been handed in, and had found a chip containing Vasquez’s details.
The pair was astonished that after so long, their dog had been found alive and well.
Incredibly, Vasquez and her daughter drove 1,000 miles across America to finally meet King once more!
Watch the unfolding story of the reunion here:
Watch also: Vets scan stray dog's chip and cannot believe what they find
