麻花视频

The reunion was made possible by a microchip 鈥� a little glass cylinder, about the size of a grain of rice 鈥� implanted under the skin.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most important thing for every animal owner to do,鈥� Brent Weinkauf, director of the Pittsylvania Pet Center, explained to the Register & Bee.

The procedure takes about five seconds or less.

Koda鈥檚 adventure started when a couple lived in the county briefly before moving to Raleigh, North Carolina.

鈥淚 believe they couldn鈥檛 take the dog with them,鈥� Weinkauf said while not revealing the identity of Koda鈥檚 owner. Attempts by the Register & Bee to contact the owner was unsuccessful.

The couple left the dog with someone else. Koda apparently got away.

On Jan. 2, Koda was brought in as a stray picked up by animal control.

鈥淥ne of the very first things we do obviously, every animal that comes in here, is check for a chip,鈥� Weinkauf said. 鈥淜oda had a chip, so that鈥檚 how we were able to get in touch with the owner and he came and picked him up on Jan. 5.鈥�

Apparently now the owner, who still lives in Raleigh, is able to take care of the dog.

Things are a little fuzzy with the five-year gap and it鈥檚 not clear where Koda was during that time.

鈥淚f that dog wouldn鈥檛 have been microchipped, then a 99% chance probably he wouldn鈥檛 have ever been reunited,鈥� Weinkauf said.

All animals that come into the pet center are microchipped. Once the tiny piece of technology is implanted, information is loaded into a database within 24 to 48 hours.

Owners can tap into that database at any time to update contact information and phone numbers.

Weinkauf cautioned that pet owners should be mindful that if a furry friend is missing, they鈥檒l likely get a call from a 888 number.

The chip says with the animal forever, but it can move around.

Strays tend to be more of an issue in a rural landscape.

鈥淲ith it being such a rural area, there鈥檚 no leash law, animals are roaming around here,鈥� Weinkauf said.

Some people may see an animal wandering on its own the believe it to be a stray. Some will pick it up and keep it.

鈥淭hey think they are doing the right thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes they are, sometimes they aren鈥檛.鈥�

He鈥檚 seen times when a dog may only be two doors down from its home.

鈥淛ust think of that flip side of that person who鈥檚 really out there looking for their animal,鈥� he cautioned.

That goes back to the microchipping importance. He said the first thing to do when finding a stray is to take it to a vet clinic, the pet center or anywhere that can scan for a chip.

If an animal has the special chip, it can be determined where it belongs.

Then a reunion can happen. Just like it did with Koda.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so important to microchip your animals,鈥� Weinkauf said.