Lost pooch leads folks on a detective tale
By Sarah Hinckley Times Argus StaffMONTPELIER — Thanks to some amateur sleuthing and a microchip under Chip's skin, part of the mystery surrounding the 11-year-old yellow Labrador retriever has been solved.
But only part. Although his name and former owners have been discovered, still unknown is how the well-trained dog arrived in Vermont after allegedly being stolen seven years ago from his home in Idaho.
Chip was picked up by the Montpelier Police on July 3, running loose without tags, and brought to the Central Vermont Humane Society.
"I assume that he got lost because of the fireworks," said Anne Ross, who manages the shelter at the Humane Society, referring to the capital city's Independence Day celebration. "Because of that, he could have come from anywhere."
This much is known: Chip had a microchip inserted more than 10 years ago that allowed Ross to trace his roots back to Oregon. But that was not where Chip's journey to Vermont began, apparently.
Chip allegedly was stolen seven years ago from his owners' yard in Idaho, where they had moved. After putting out notices for Chip's return to no avail, the family moved on, eventually relocating to Washington state, where they have another dog.
But none of this was initially known to Ross or an interested vet in Worcester who did some sleuthing that would make Sherlock Holmes proud.
Ross used Google, the Internet search engine, to search for the Oregon owner's name that came up from the microchip. Her search broadened when she realized the number scanned from Chip's microchip was not one used by the same company employed by the humane society.
Microchips are the size of long-grain rice, according to Ross. They are inserted through a needle —smaller than the one used to draw blood, she noted — into the skin between the animal's shoulder blades. The chips are most commonly inserted into cats and dogs, and used to trace the animal back to the facility or organization at which the device was inserted if the pet is lost or stolen.
Most shelters, veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal control officers now have scanners that can read the microchip number without touching the animal, as was Chip's case.
"He has a microchip and the owners registered his chip, which all owners don't do," said Ross. When she Googled the name the microchip was registered under and found a phone number in Oregon, it was no longer in service. Ross then Googled the same name in Vermont and didn't find any exact matches. In a valiant attempt to see if there were any relatives in the Green Mountain State, Ross called people with the same and similar last names.
"That was less than rewarding," she joked. "It was a long shot, but it could have worked."
Ross then widened her Google search and got the police equivalent of a break in the case: She discovered that Chip's former owners were veterinarians and called the clinic at which they were employed when Chip's microchip was inserted. But the clinic had not heard from Chip's owners since their move to Idaho 10 years ago.
With the help of Deb Glottmann from Worcester Veterinary Care and a national veterinary database search, Chip's former owners were finally located in the state of Washington.
Meanwhile, Chip was taken to the Worcester facility for a check-up, prompting Glottmann to look for ways to get him across the country if his original owners wanted him back, and Chip a temporary place to stay until that was possible.
That's how Debbie Danforth, of Milton, ended up with Chip.
Calling Glottmann on July 9 about an upcoming meeting, Danforth found herself about to take in a dog. Danforth's long-time canine companion died last October and there were no other dogs at her home.
"I was in the position to be able to take a dog because I have a lot of the materials," said Danforth. "I went to the meeting and ended up taking Chip home… He's 11 years old. He knows all his commands really well. He's an amazing dog."
But he does have a few issues. Chip has cage anxiety and he doesn't like male dogs getting too close, which may be a problem in getting him back to the former owners, who now have a male dog.
"According to the owner, he never had aggression issues in the time they had him," said Danforth, pointing out that no one knows what has happened during the last seven years. "If he could only speak, we'd love to hear his story."
The cost of getting him back across the country is also a hurdle, whether the former owners travel here to get him or decide to ship him back.
"I think they're probably leaning towards Chip having his permanent residence in Vermont – that's just my interpretation," said Danforth. "I'm still considering myself as a foster mom until they make a final decision about what they want to do… I'm basically just waiting and I'm not hurrying them, because it's no hardship for me to take care of him."
In fact, over the last 10 days, she and her family have become quite attached to Chip.
"If they decide to come get him, I will miss him," said Danforth. "But, I realize at one time he belonged to them and he was their cherished pet."
The Central Vermont Humane Society is hosting a microchip clinic on Aug. 2 and owners can pay up to $25 to have a chip inserted into their pet. To find out more, call 476-3811 or go to
http://www.cvhumane.com/.
Contact Sarah Hinckley at sarah.hinckley@timesargus.com.
Posted by Sheryl Rapee-Adams, Best Friends Network Volunteer
Reprinted from here with permission from the Rutland Herald
Photo retrieved from sxc.hu and does not depict Chip