Dog Missing 5 Years Reunited With Owner Thanks to Microchip

Michelle Bluestone thought she'd never see her best friend again, but a single phone call in February proved that miracles can take five years to arrive.

Bluestone adopted Lola, a Schnauzer mix, from a shelter in 2018 when the pup was just 3 years old. The two became inseparable companions in their Reseda home. But in 2021, Lola slipped through the backyard fence and vanished.

"It was the worst time of my life," Bluestone told KTLA. She spent weeks putting up flyers around the neighborhood and walked the streets calling Lola's name. Because Lola was microchipped, Bluestone kept hoping someone would find her and scan the tiny device that held her contact information.

Months turned into years with no word. Heartbroken, Bluestone eventually assumed Lola had died. She moved to Simi Valley, got married, and adopted a new dog named Sunny.

Then came the February phone call that changed everything. An Echo Park animal shelter staffer said five words Bluestone never expected to hear: "We have your dog Lola here."

Someone had spotted Lola wandering alone on a roadside and turned her over to police, who brought her to the shelter. When staff scanned her microchip, Bluestone's information popped up instantly. The system had worked perfectly, even after five long years.

"I was in such shock, I couldn't believe it," Bluestone recalled. "I wasn't even processing the fact that my dog could be there."

Lola needed some medical care when she arrived at the shelter. Vets removed 11 rotted teeth and trimmed her overgrown nails. But considering she'd survived on her own for half a decade, her overall health was remarkably good.

Sunny's Take

Today, Lola is thriving in her new home with Bluestone's husband and her canine sibling, Sunny. Though she was timid at first, Lola has made a full recovery and rediscovered her playful spirit. The little dog who slipped through a fence five years ago now has twice the family she started with.

Bluestone's story reminds us why microchipping matters and why hope, even after years of silence, is never wasted.