American Pet Dog Lost 8 Months Ago Found 3,000 km Away

Missing Pet Dog from San Diego Found in Detroit
Health Condition Good...Circumstances of Movement Remain a Mystery

A story about an American family who reunited with their lost pet dog over 3,000 km away has become a sensation.

On the 4th (local time), the AP News and the British daily The Guardian introduced the story of Merard and Elizabeth Howman, an American family who dramatically reunited with their lost dog 'Mishka' after about eight months on the 29th of last month. The Howman family, living in San Diego, California in the western United States, lost Mishka in September last year. At the time, Mishka was playing at Merard’s workplace, an auto repair shop, when suddenly she disappeared.

Ho Woo-man holding his dog Mishuka, whom he met again after 8 months
[Photo by Gross Point Animal Adoption Association, Yonhap News]

The family searched everywhere for Mishka and posted over 1,000 flyers while making inquiries. However, no news of Mishka came from anywhere. Then, just as the family was about to leave for Minneapolis, Minnesota to visit relatives, they received a phone call. The caller was the Gross Pointe Animal Adoption Association in Harper Woods, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan on the U.S. East Coast, saying they were protecting Mishka there.

Merard drove for 10 hours immediately after arriving in Minneapolis and dramatically reunited with Mishka after eight months. Elizabeth, who reunited with their pet after a long wait, said, "This is 100% a miracle," but also added, "We never gave up. We knew Mishka would come back."

The association had taken custody of Mishka from the Harper Woods police. Earlier, the Harper Woods police received a missing dog report last week, found Mishka, and contacted the association. The association was able to identify the owner’s information through the ID chip implanted in Mishka. The association, witnessing the reunion of Mishka and the family, marveled at their story, calling it "a story Hollywood would envy."

Nancy Pillsbury, the veterinarian who examined Mishka, said, "Mishka’s nutritional status is good and her body is clean," adding, "It seems someone took good care of her." However, she added, "Only Mishka knows how she ended up in Harper Woods." The distance between the two locations is a whopping 2,000 miles (about 3,200 km).

The Howman family said, "We are curious how Mishka traveled from California to Michigan," and "We are grateful to those who helped us get our beloved pet back."

Meanwhile, in the United States last year, there was also a miraculous reunion of a dog missing for seven years with its owner. In December 2015, Jesse Springer, who lived in Farmington, New Mexico, lost his dog 'Nugget' in his yard. Springer made every effort to find Nugget, but it seemed hopeless.

Seven long years passed. Then, in early February last year, a severely injured dog limping around an alley in a city in South Carolina was rescued. Surprisingly, this dog was identified as 'Nugget.' Nugget was found 1,700 miles (about 2,736 km) away from home. At the time of rescue, Nugget’s claws were long and his ears were infected. The local stray dog shelter scanned Nugget’s microchip and was able to confirm the owner’s contact information.

Nugget’s owner met the old and sick dog at the airport after seven years and could not hold back tears. People watching also shed tears together, turning the airport into a sea of tears in an instant. Two months after returning home, Nugget suddenly stopped eating and drinking and eventually passed away at the age of 16. Springer shared the sad news, saying, "Nugget was a warrior who fought to come home," and "I think he felt that after achieving his goal, it was okay to leave now."