PHOENIX — This is a sweet reunion story sure to make your tail wag.
Last week, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control picked up a stray dog near 48th and Glendale avenues.
It was an old pup who MCACC says “was timid, not wagging his tail, and it didn’t seem to pay much attention to our Field Officer.”
Officers scanned the dog for a microchip and found one with contact information last updated in 2011. They left a voicemail explaining that they had found a dog with a name believed to be Minion.
Hours later, they received multiple calls from a different number. It was a man who said Minion was his dog that had gotten out after a maintenance worker left their gate open — 12 years ago.
The now-15-year-old dog was driven back to the man more than 20 miles from where he was picked up.
“Before opening the kennel, (the officer) explained that Minion was elderly...and not a fast mover,” MCACC said. “However, once she opened the kennel, that all changed. Minion instantly started wagging his tail and was clearly excited to see his family!”
The family even provided a photo of Minion with their son from 2011, who was, of course, photographed again with the dog so many years later.
While it’s unclear where Minion was for the last decade, MCACC says the long-awaited reunion wouldn’t have been possible without Minion’s microchip and the information stored on it.
