Florida woman spots lost dog on Facebook after missing for nearly a year
Lisa Raulerson was reunited with her dog, Sparky, after the dog was missing for nearly a year.
LAKE MARY, Fla. - A 16-year-old dog that disappeared a year ago has been reunited with its Florida owner.
Lisa Raulerson spotted photos of her dog in a Facebook post by the Sunshine State Westie Rescue, which had recently pulled the dog from Palm Beach Animal Control.
According to the rescue, Sparky went missing in October of last year after someone accidentally left a gate open.
Lisa Raulerson was reunited with her dog, Sparky, after the dog was missing for nearly a year. [Photo is courtesy of Sunshine State Westie Rescue]
"Before we noticed it, he was gone," Raulerson told WPTV. "We pretty much figured he passed away."
The rescue shared Sparky's story to encourage microchipping your pet.
"We are telling you his story to show you that you should never give up if your dog goes missing. Keep your posts about your missing dog updated, keep the information with the shelter up to date. You just never know what could happen," the rescue said. "Most importantly, microchip your dog or cat, and register that chip!"
Sparky was chipped but it was not registered and that prevented Animal Control from finding his owner.
"We got lucky when the owner saw our post about getting the dog from Palm Beach and she contacted us. With her name and the information from the microchip of what vet clinic supplied the chip, we were able to confirm, without doubt, this was her missing Sparky," the rescue said.
Lisa Raulerson was reunited with her dog, Sparky, after the dog was missing for nearly a year.[Photo is courtesy of Sunshine State Westie Rescue]
Lisa Raulerson was reunited with her dog, Sparky, after the dog was missing for nearly a year. [Photo is courtesy of Sunshine State Westie Rescue]
Lisa Raulerson was reunited with her dog, Sparky, after the dog was missing for nearly a year. [Photo is courtesy of Sunshine State Westie Rescue]
Sunshine State Westie Rescue said if you don't receive information on the microchip when you get your dog or cat, ask your veterinarian to scan the animal for a chip. If your pet has one, the vet will be able to give you the chip company name and the chip number. You can look up the company online to get the company's phone number. You can call them for the information on registering their chip.
Sunshine State Westie Rescue is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is funded by donations from the public. Learn more about Sunshine State Westie Rescue here.
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