A microchip helped animal control reunite a family with a dog that disappeared more than four years ago, officials said.
Dodger, a collie mix, escaped from his family’s home in Owings Mills, Md., in 2007. The family had returned home to find the dog missing, with no sign of how he escaped. Despite an extensive search, the family could not locate him.
On Dec. 27, a Good Samaritan took a dog found wandering in Severna Park to Anne Arundel County Animal Control in Annapolis. Staff there found the microchip and, using an alternate contact -- a relative residing in Virginia -- found the dog's family, which now lives in Cedar Grove, N.C.
On Dec. 30, William Willey and his two sons traveled to Annapolis to be reunited with Dodger.
Dodger had abrasions on his face and was missing some teeth, officials said. Authorities do not know where Dodger has been for four years.
Follow NBC Washington to get the latest news, events and entertainment anytime, anywhere: on air, online, and on Facebook // Twitter.
