Boy "Over The Moon" To Be Reunited With Missing Dog After 2 Years
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 12-year-old boy and his dog were happily reunited this week, after the pooch had been missing for more than two years.
Jennifer Fiege, of Ellie's Animal Rescue in Carpentersville, recently was given a little Maltese named Sparky that a young woman had found along with another dog in a forest preserve in Streamwood.
"Couldn't find the owners at all. She had them for about a month and a half, and she ended up finding a home for one of them, and then the other one she couldn't find a home for, and that was Sparky," Fiege said.
The woman turned to Fiege for help, and Fiege determined Sparky had a microchip ID. She contacted the chip's manufacturer to start the process of tracking down the Sparky's owner.
"We found out who the owner was, but their number was disconnected, and they weren't answering anything by mail," Fiege said.
About a week ago, the owner, Viridiana Garcia, called Fiege and set in motion a reunion that took place outside a suburban pet store earlier this week.
Fiege said Sparky ran away a couple years ago, when a door was opened by movers as his family was in the midst of an emotional move.
Fiege said her 12-year old son, Gabriel, didn't want a replacement dog after Sparky ran away, he just wanted Sparky back.
Gabriel was a bit shy at first after he was reunited with Sparky, because of all the attention people were giving him during their reunion, but Fiege said when that all died down, he became more excited.
"He was just over the moon to have his dog back," Fiege said.