Owner Overjoyed After “Miracle” Reunion with Lost Pug

Quick Smiles:

• Michael Mitchell’s pug, Sven, went missing in 2020 and despite their best efforts, he was nowhere to be found.
• Last weekend, Mitchell received an unexpected call from the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter informing him that they had found Sven, who was just a mile away from the airport.
• Mitchell is incredibly grateful that he had Sven microchipped, which ultimately led to their reunion, and the staff at the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter emphasized the importance of microchipping pets to ensure their safe return if they are ever lost.

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Michael Mitchell, a resident of Idaho Falls, was devastated when his beloved pug, Sven, went missing in 2020.

Despite their best efforts to search for him, including posting on social media and contacting local animal shelters, Sven was nowhere to be found.

“We looked around the neighborhood and posted on Facebook and different animal shelters, trying to find him. Then, at about three months, we weren’t hearing anything and just didn’t think we were going to see him anymore,” Mitchell said.

However, Mitchell received an unexpected call from the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter last weekend, informing him that they had found Sven, who was just a mile away from the airport.

“I was really excited. I could barely believe it! I was like…is this really happening? Is this real? Because in my mind, I felt like in three months, if you haven’t gotten your pet back, you probably aren’t going to see your pet again, you know?” Mitchell said.

Animal Control Officer Maja Rellaford with the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter said she received a call about a dog in a neighborhood on Saturday.

The dog, later identified as Sven, had walked up to a woman’s door. The woman reported that she didn’t know who he belonged to and had tried asking her neighbors about him, but nobody recognized him.

Rellaford scanned Sven for a microchip, which revealed that he belonged to Mitchell.

“I gave a call to the owner right away, and I said, ‘Hey, I just picked up Sven. Are you missing him?’ And he said, ‘Are you kidding me?!’”

It was a heartwarming reunion for Mitchell and Sven, and Mitchell was overjoyed that Sven still recognized him after all this time.

“He recognized me, and he was so excited to see me! It was a really emotional time. It was really exciting. You wonder… it’s been a while. Are they going to remember me? And he instantly remembered me. It was awesome,” Mitchell said.

Despite not knowing exactly where Sven had been for the past few years, it was evident that he had been taken care of.

“Other than a little weight gain, he looks absolutely great. So somebody did take care of him,” Rellaford said.

Mitchell is incredibly grateful that he had Sven microchipped, which ultimately led to their reunion.

“I think it’s the best idea. I honestly knew in my heart that if I was ever going to find him again, that was how we were going to be reunited…was that microchip because there was no other proof that he’s my dog other than the fact that he’s microchipped by me. I am really grateful for that,” Mitchell said.

The staff at the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter emphasized the importance of microchipping pets to ensure their safe return if they are ever lost.

Microchipping at the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter costs $25, and no appointment is needed.

“We just want the public to know how important it is to microchip their pets so we can reunite them. We have a lot of people coming to the animal shelter — dozens of people every day — that are missing their cat or dog, and oftentimes, if the cat or dog is microchipped, usually we can reunite them a lot faster,” Rellaford said.

For Mitchell and Sven, their reunion was truly a miracle.

“To get him back is a miracle. I am so grateful. I literally missed him. I always prayed and hoped that if he was somewhere, that he had a good life and was happy, but I missed him a a lot,” he said.

Mitchell emphasized that getting your pet microchipped is “very, very important, and it reunites families.”

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Source: East Idaho News