Dog Lost During Camping Trip Found 2 Months Later

When Mike Stotts of Austin, Texas, and his best friend, a Nova Scotia Toller named Romeo, packed up and headed to Santa Fe, the plan was for a fun camping trip in Hyde Memorial State Park.

But, on the stormy night in August, 15-year old Romeo dashed from the tent and quickly became lost in the vast state park.

Stotts, along with park rangers and crew, searched for days, but found no trace of the gorgeous pup. Park workers informed Stotts it was highly likely that the aging dog had fallen victim to they coyotes that call Hyde Memorial their home. Heartbroken, Stotts packed up and returned to Austin without his best buddy.

Stotts was convinced that his dog was gone forever, telling friends and family on his Facebook page that “Fate finally caught up with him in the wilderness.”

But, 60 days after his friend vanished into the night, Stott received a phone call from an unknown number with a California area code. At first, he thought it was a solicitor, but heartbreak quickly turned to joy when the call turned out to be from the company that manages the database of microchip information.

The tiny rice-sized microchip implanted under Romeo’s skin many years earlier actually worked! A park employee making his rounds through the park nearly 2 months after Romeo’s disappearance found the dog, now very slender and malnourished and took him to a nearby veterinarian who scanned him for a chip.

Slotts immediately jumped in his car and headed for Santa Fe, where he was reunited yesterday with his beloved pet. Romeo recognized Slotts immediately, greeting him with a wagging tail, Slotts was immediately brought to tears of joy.

Even the most well-trained, obedient dog can become spooked and run. Since our dogs can’t speak for themselves, a microchip may be your dog’s only ticket home.