GREENSBORO — We’ve all seen missing pet flyers. Our hearts tend to go out to them, because we sympathize with the thought of missing our own beloved pet.  How will they ever find their way home?  Will they ever be re-united with their family?

This is the story of Muffin, a gray calico, lost in a family’s travels from Charleston, SC to Kingsport, TN.  Mike and Dana Johnson were moving from South Carolina to Tennessee the week before Christmas, December 2009.   They happened to stop at exit 130 in Greensboro, GA to fill up the gas tank and stretch, when scared Muffin, jumped out of the car and ran off.  It was dark and cold, and after an hour of searching with flashlights, and their two daughters crying, they decided to quit looking and leave their name and number with the gas station attendant.  Hopefully Muffin would come back around.  Mike and Dana completed their move to Tennessee and figured they would never see Muffin again.

On January 24, a crying cat wandered up to Dagmar Batts’s condo.  In the pouring down rain and thunder, she coaxed the crying cat up to her and kept her dry, warm and fed.  She waited a few days, hoping an owner would place a sign up for a missing cat.  On Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Dagmar brought the cat to Park Place Animal Hospital. “With no collar, the next step is to scan for a Microchip.”  Dr. Brosman stated.  Alas, she was micro-chipped.  Veterinary Technician, Jessica Smith, started the search to find the owners.  She called the 800 number for 24 Hour Pet Watch and the customer service representative gave her the numbers listed on the account and the address.  Jessica called all four numbers with no luck, they were all disconnected.  She got a hold of one woman, who stated she did not own a cat.  She continued trying to locate Mike and Dana Johnson. What do we do now?  Muffin stayed overnight, with lots of love, food and a warm bed, while the team at Park Place thought of other ideas to find the owners.

The next day, Jessica wondered if some numbers may have been transposed on an area code, so tried a different number. A Mrs. Chris Johnson answered this time and “I was so excited and relieved.”, to make contact with someone, Jessica said.  “We have your cat,”I told her.  Chris was a little confused and told me she did not have a cat and I asked if she was related to Mike or Dana.  Turns out, Chris was Mike’s mom.  After putting pieces of the puzzle together and finding out that Muffin has been missing for more than a month now, arrangements were made to have Muffin picked up by Dana and she would return the cat to her son in Tennessee. Her grand-daughters were going to be surprised by the return home of their beloved kitty.  Dana told me, “Even the two dogs love Muffin.” Dana picked up Muffin on Friday afternoon and was re-united with her family in Tennessee.

The team at Park Place Animal Hospital went above the call of duty trying to find Muffin’s owners. Instead of just stopping at disconnected numbers they trudged forward and researched other ways to find Muffin’s family.  This is just a local story on how a Microchip can save a pet’s life and bring them back home to their family, even if they are hundreds of miles from home or missing for over a month.  Home Again Microchips recover over 300,000 pets a year and average about 30,000 pets returned home monthly. They even offer an insurance plan and amber alerts when your pet is missing.  The microchip is a simple procedure that is done in office daily. To find out more about having your own pet micro-chipped please call Park Place Animal Hospital at 706-453-2838.