‘This is just one of those blessings’: Dog missing for 6 years gets reunited with his family

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/Gray News) - There was a happy reunion in Massachusetts this week for a family and their missing Yorkshire terrier named Whiskey.

According to the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, a microchip helped reunite Whiskey with his family after he went missing six years ago.

Whiskey’s owner, who didn’t want to be identified, said the day he went missing always haunted her, but she never lost hope for his return.

And earlier this week, she got the phone call she always dreamed of from the animal center.

“It’s always a great feeling to be able to call somebody and say, ‘Your pet is here, and your pet is safe,’” said Lori Swanson, executive director at the center.

The reunion is a result of a daily process for Swanson and the team. They frequently scan lost and found animals for microchips.

“That’s always the first thing we do. We scan for that microchip and when we hear that little beep, it’s always such a relief to know that there’s a possibility that we can hook that animal up with its owner,” Swanson said.

According to Swanson, pet owners should also keep updated and accurate information on their animal’s microchip.

“This family did exactly what they should have done,” she said.

Keeping up-to-date records is what led to their happy reunion.

“This is just one of those blessings that you just have to keep counting,” Swanson said.

The Springfield Police Department said officers were able to bring Whiskey to the animal center after finding him in an abandoned apartment earlier in the week.

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