The welcome sound of cute little Denali is back at the White house. For the past five months the White family has agonized over the mysterious disappearance of their two-year-old Yorkshire terrier. "He was actually in the backyard and he was out on his little afternoon walk and I just think that maybe someone came into the backyard and maybe took him," said relieved owner Constance White. The family scoured their Capital Heights neighborhood and checked with local shelters religiously. But after months went by, no sign of Denali. Eventually, the family gave up hope of finding Denali. "Because they're such a popular breed that I didn't think it was going to happen," White said. Then on Friday, the family received a call saying their dog was found walking the streets of D.C., and that he could be picked up at a local shelter. Michael White is thrilled to have his "fourth child" back home. "Denali is just special in his own way," he said. "He's very playful, he loves kids we never had any problems with him so he's very attached to us." This magical reunion was made possible because of animal centers like the Capital Area Spay and Neuter Center. Inside, not only are animals taken care of, but they're also implanted with technology that essentially serves as a dog collar that can't get lost. Before the animals are given to new homes, they're implanted with a microchip that's no bigger than a nickel. It's a simple painless process that stores the animal and owner’s information on a national registry. So when a dog like Denali gets lost and returned to a shelter, all the doctor has to do is scan the chip to find the rightful owner. "Denali probably would have gone into our shelter system and we would have looked for a new home for him," said Bridget Speiser, of the Washington Humane Society. "That's what happens. These animals get permanently separated. The previous families don't ever know what happens to them, and it's heartbreaking."
