Lost dog of 10 months returned to Phoenix owners after identified by microchip

PHOENIX — After nearly 10-months of searching, a family dog is back home safe.

The 13-year-old black and white part Schnauzer, part Shih Tzu, escaped his north Phoenix backyard in December.

After nearly a year of searching, his owner Judy Kula, was starting to wonder if she’d ever see her beloved pup again.

“After 10-months…the grieving has gotten to a point where you don’t know if you should finally give up, stop looking,” Kula said.

But on Oct. 23 she received a call from a woman with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) saying they had Jasper and identified him through his microchip.

“I immediately asked if it was a joke,” Kula said. About 10-minutes later, the MCACC truck pulled up in front of the house.

“Sure enough, she opened the little door, and it was him,” Kula said. “We got him down on the ground. He immediately headed for the driveway and wanted to go into the house, got in the house, went out the doggy door and into the yard like he had never been gone.”

Kula added: “It’s still a shock, like last night when he was curled up on my lap, I thought, ‘he still remembers the exact position, everything that it’s always been.'”

Jasper’s owner said he’s doing well for the most part aside from some severe matts in his fur that need to be treated by a groomer.

She said they’ve installed a lock on the gate to make sure he doesn’t get out again as well as security cameras, since not knowing exactly how he got out has driven her crazy.

Kula also added she’s now a big proponent in pet microchipping, a sentiment that has changed for her.

“For the longest time as I was getting all these emails of all these lost dogs and cats all around the neighborhood…I kept thinking why do we chip them if they’re not found. Now, I don’t question it. He was found because of the chip,” Kula said.

MCACC reports only 20% of animals that come into its shelters have a microchip. Right now, the shelters are at critical capacity.

This month, adoptions are free for animals who have been there for more than 30-days.