Family Reunited With a Dog After 3 Years Thanks to a Microchip

A Texas family has received a call they have been waiting for years -  one of their dogs, who has been missing for three years, has been found safe and sound. The emotional reunion took place at Little Rock Animal Village, a nonprofit organization, that promotes animal welfare and public safety, in an attempt, to increase adoptions of well-adjusted, healthy animals.

The Smith family’s two pit bulls, Jack and Jill, went missing from their fenced backyard in Little Rock, Arkansas, in July 2020. As soon as Rex and Britnee Smith realized their dogs were gone, they did everything in their power to find them. The couple put up posters of missing dogs, talked to neighbors, reached out to animal shelters and vet offices in the area, and posted on social media to spread the word. But despite their best efforts, there was no sign of the dogs. 

Losing their dogs was hard for the Smiths, especially their daughter, who was five, at the time, and had a special bond with Jack and Jill. The family would occasionally get a phone call claiming that their dogs were found, but those leads never panned out. “I didn’t think our dogs would ever come back because they’re such good dogs and I know no one would ever just turn them in or take them to the vet,” said Britnee. 

The Smiths describe their dogs as wonderful family pets with great temperaments. Although the family heard stories of dogs being found and returned to their owners through a microchip, they didn’t believe that would happen to them. Rex said that the family never forgot about Jack and Jill, but they did lose hope of ever finding them. 

Eventually, the Smiths relocated 300 miles from Little Rock to McKinney, Texas. They still occasionally received calls and pictures of dogs that could be theirs, but their dogs were never located. 

Then in late July, Rex received a call he’ll never forget - the Little Rock Animal Village called to inform him that they found Jill. Rex immediately phoned Britnee, who cried tears of joy, after learning that their fur baby is alive and well. 

The family, who drove from Texas to Arkansas, confessed that they were a little nervous that Jill wouldn’t recognize them or that her temperament changed to be more aggressive. But their worries were put to rest when Jill greeted them with a wagging tail! “It’s like she never left us,” said Britnee, according to USA Today. “We picked up right off when she left three years ago. She came right into our arms.”

Although overjoyed, the Smiths admitted they would love to know what happened to Jill in the three years she was missing, especially since she was found only a couple of blocks away from their old home. “We wish she could talk,” said Rex. “We have so many questions and we just want to ask her, take us from the beginning - what happened?”

After the reunion, Britnee immediately took Jill to the vet who said the pooch is healthy overall but had sustained minor scrapes and scratches. After an all-clear from the vet, Jill was treated to a day in the doggy spa, where she had her nails clipped, her teeth brushed, and her coat groomed. 

Jill has gotten used to being at home and loves taking naps with children. “We found our family member,” Rex said.

The Smith’s other dog, Jack, is still missing, but the family is now hopeful that he may also show up in their old neighborhood where Jill was found.