A California woman has been reunited with her missing dog after he was found more than 2,000 miles away in Illinois.
Back in July, owner Ciara Babcock shared on Facebook that her dog, Opie, had vanished during a storm near the Punkin Center area. She offered a $500 reward and continued searching for months with no sign of him.
“$500.00 Reward! Hi All, my dog, Opie, disappeared during the storm on July 1st, around the Punkin Center area. Can you please let me know if you happen to see him? Thank you,” Babcock posted at the time.
On October 1, DuPage County Animal Services (DCAS) in Itasca, Illinois, revealed that local police brought in a stray corgi-shepherd mix that had been discovered wandering the area. When staff scanned the dog’s microchip, they were shocked to learn he was registered to a home in Bieber, California.
Illinois animal shelter finds Opie 2,000 miles away
“Back in July, Opie went missing from his home in California, leaving his owner devastated,” said the DuPage County Animal Services on Facebook. “Since he was microchipped, she never gave up on the chance of getting that call. Fast forward a few months- Itasca Police Department brought a stray to our shelter.
“Both the Itasca Police and our team scanned, and to everyone’s surprise, it traced back to California! One phone call later, and the very next day (plus a flight), Opie was back where he belonged- home with his owner.”
They added: “We’ll never know exactly how Opie made his way nearly across the country, but we do know this: microchips work. They make reunions like this possible, no matter how far our four-legged friends may travel.”
