Mississippi chihuahua missing for 5 years reunited with owners after being found in Florida
Five years ago, chihuahua mix Penny escaped under the fence of owner Kristy Taylor's Mississippi home. Taylor thought she would never see her beloved dog again, she told ABC News.
That all changed this week when she got a call from a Florida animal shelter -- Penny was alive and well, hundreds of miles away from Taylor's town of Lucedale, Mississippi.
"She must have just taken a really long vacation and enjoyed the beach," her owners told Angela Miedema, the director of the Volusia County Animal Services.
Last week, the missing canine was discovered by a person at the crossroads of an intersection in Volusia County, Florida, an area northeast of Orlando, Miedema said.
The person posted in neighborhood apps and asked if any community members had lost a pet, but "nobody seemed to recognize the dog," according to Miedema.
Earlier this week, Penny was brought to Volusia County Animal Services, where her microchip was scanned -- leading her "back to her original owner," Miedema told ABC News. The data revealed a dog with a "similar description" and a phone number that turned out to be Taylor's, Miedema said.
When Miedema called, with Taylor immediately confirmed that it was Penny. After learning the dog's name, Miedema looked at her and said "Penny," to which she "turned right around and was smiling with her big tongue out."
"She got so excited when she heard that and I was like, 'This has to be your dog.' It was giving us all chills, there were a bit of tears," Miedema told ABC News.
After hearing the news about Penny, Taylor told ABC News she and her partner immediately drove from Mississippi to Florida -- about a nine-hour journey. They were reunited with Penny on Wednesday.
"She was so excited to see us. I'm so grateful someone had taken her in to be scanned and realized she needed to be returned to her family. We were very excited to get Penny back," Taylor told ABC News.
Even though Penny is five years older and has gained some weight, Taylor said she acted the just the same and "really looks great."
While it's unknown how Penny ended up in Florida, Miedema said she assumes the dog had been cared for the past five years due to her being slightly "obese."
"There's just a little more to love of her than before," Miedema said.
Penny is now back home in Mississippi, relaxing on the recliner, playing with the family's other pets -- her "little siblings" -- and is "living her best life," according to Taylor.
Taylor said she hopes others recognize the power of a microchip, saying if Penny had not had one, "we would have not gotten her back."
"If you are ever wondering what a tiny little microchip can do, I think it's so worth the investment. That little microchip can make sure your family pet stays with you forever," Miedema said.
