Rescue Dog’s Microchip Mystery Leads to Joyful Reunion

Quick Smiles:

• A microchip mix-up almost kept beloved dog Mochi from her family.
• Owner Ariel Wolf adopted Mochi a second time to bring her home.
• Mochi enjoyed two more happy years after the ordeal.

When Ariel Wolf was told her missing rescue dog Mochi had been found and brought to a local shelter, relief quickly shifted to concern after a microchip scan complicated the reunion.

Wolf cherished Mochi, a scruffy rescue she adopted from a North Carolina shelter, remembering her fondly for sunbathing and her amusing personality.

“She passed away in March of 2023 at what we estimate was close to 16 years old,” Wolf shared.

Mochi went missing in June 2021, prompting Wolf to search her neighborhood and post pleas on social media, which helped locate her through a neighbor’s help.

At the shelter, staff tried several scanners but could not find the microchip linked to Wolf. Instead, they found an old microchip from Mochi’s previous owner, triggering a policy requiring the shelter to offer Mochi to the original chip-holder first.

Wolf described the stressful moments:

“I’m hysterically crying at this point, because the dog I’ve spent the last 8 years loving, training and caring for, is now being offered to someone who possibly hasn’t seen them since 2011.”

Though attempts to reach the old owner went nowhere, the shelter followed protocol and held Mochi for several days, with Wolf anxiously waiting through a required 10-day period.

Determined, Wolf contacted Mochi’s rescue organization, who confirmed they had placed the microchip and quickly acted to help reunite the pair. Wolf officially adopted Mochi again, bringing her home at last.

Mochi enjoyed two more years surrounded by love and care, a happy ending after the unexpected hurdles.

Wolf now encourages pet owners to regularly check their pets’ microchips for current information.

“Accidents and emergencies happen when we least expect and it only takes a second for a loved pet to get out of the house or yard,” she said.

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