HomeAgain in the news

Read the latest news on HomeAgain, the most comprehensive pet protection and safety resource for your pet.

High-tech 'Lassie Come Home' Story
Manteca Bulletin, June 29, 2005

by Rose Albano Risso

LATHROP -- Sapphire's story is one gem of a canine story.

It's a Lassie Come Home-type of tale that demonstrates once more the importance of giving your pet a microchip ID implant.

Thanks to this computerized identification tag, someone in Vacaville -- more than 60 miles away -- is being reunited with her long-lost Jack Russell terrier today. The four-year-old tri-color dog was discovered by residents at Rieger Lane Monday morning hiding under their bed.

"I guess it had run into the house through an open door," said Lathrop Animal Services Manager Becky Enneking.

The home owners called the Lathrop Police which then notified Animal Services officers.

Animal Services staff Christi Luthey who went and retrieved the dog said she was told by the Vacaville woman that Sapphire had been missing since December of last year when she was stolen from their front yard. They presumed the dog was stolen because "she never left their yard before," Luthey said.

The owner went to two animal shelters in the area looking for Sapphire but the search turned fruitless.

As to how the dog ended up in Lathrop, Enneking and Luthey can't even begin to speculate.

But "whoever had [taken her] didn't take good care of her," said Luthey, noting the flea or skin allergies on half of Sapphire's back, and the very long and sharp toe nails.

"Who knows what she's been through the last six months," Luthey said.

Other than the skin allergies which cause irritation and itching, Luthey said Sapphire has been a good and well-behaved dog, and extremely friendly. Didn't even bark the whole time it was in their custody at the new City Hall on Mossdale Landing, she said.

Luthey took Sapphire Monday afternoon to the Manteca Animal Shelter where the Vacaville woman will pick it up sometime today. If not today, within the next 10 days which is the time pet owners are given to retrieve their animals.

Sapphire's owner was described as extremely happy to be reunited with her pet.

"And that's the benefit of microchipping your animals," Luthey said noting the happy ending to a tale that could have easily ended up in tragedy.