Deaf 16-Year-Old Dog Miraculously Reunited with Family After Going Missing for 5 Years
An amazing story of faith and hope has shown up in Oldham County, Kentucky. A story that might remind you of the film “Homeward Bound.”
Remember how Shadow, Chance and Sassy found their way home after all hope seemed lost? That is nothing compared to the five years one pup was away from his family.
Army is a 16-year-old deaf Jack Russell terrier. The sweet dog was adopted by the Parsons family in March of 2003.
Sadly, Army went missing in 2014. He had been microchipped and his owner, Janece Parsons, kept her information up to date, despite each year that passed with no sign of her beloved pet.
Technology has brought us a long way, but it isn’t fool proof. Parsons wondered if the microchip really mattered.
When she had her “homeward bound” moment, everything seemed worth it.
“It’s indescribable,” Parsons told WLKY. “It’s like a family member that’s been gone for a really long time.”
Now, five years later, Army is safe in his owner’s arms again. And it’s all thanks to that microchip that had been implanted.
“To me, at first, I was like was this a waste? You know, did I microchip for no reason?” Parsons told WLKY. “Well now I’ve got my answer.”
When Hardin County Animal Control called Parsons and told her that Army had been found, her relief was paramount.
Army had gone missing in Hardin County. Even after a search and passing out flyers, Army and the Parsons’s other missing dog “Leia” were nowhere to be seen.
“(Army and Leia) were scared off while visiting a home in Upton,” Friends of Hardin County Animal Shelter wrote on Facebook. “They were microchipped (more to come on that) and the family faithfully kept their information up-to-date on the microchip database.”
Army and Parsons’ newest pup Roxie are becoming acquainted day by day. Army may be older, but he is still just as loved as the day he became a part of the Parsons family. Maybe there is still hope for Leia to find her way home too.
Friends of Hardin County Animal Shelter urges pet owners not to take microchipping lightly.
“If you find a stray, always check with the shelter. Always check for a microchip,” they wrote on Facebook.
“And about microchips — obviously they are key, as is keeping your address and phone number up-to-date. Army sure is lucky his family decided to never give up hope.”
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