Dog found in Pender County makes 600-mile trip back to owner in Alabama

Many of the 100,000 dogs in shelters across North Carolina have owners frantically looking for them.

Microchips are a great way to make sure your dog makes it back home if they get lost. WECT News reports one woman in Alabama knows this to be true after her faithful companion was found at a shelter in Pender County.

"On a Friday, this cute little poodle-type dog came into the shelter," Jewell Horton with the Pender County Animal Shelter told WECT News. "And of course per state law we have to scan every animal for a microchip. As a municipal shelter, we get very excited when dogs come back with microchips."

Microchips will work around the corner, down the street or across the country. It doesn't matter how far away a dog wanders.

Within a few days, the shelter made contact with the dog's original owner, Stacey Elam. They were surprised to learn she lived almost 600 miles away.

Elam had no way to pick up her dog, Chris, so the shelter quickly came up with a plan.

"I was like, you know what, we're a small shelter but we're mighty," Horton said. "We have 27,000 followers on Facebook. I said, if you give me permission to put your story out there, I can just about promise you that our followers will give you a miracle."

Hundreds of people saw the post and immediately chimed in to help. A groomer even stepped in to give Chris a bath.

Holly Stahl saw the post and knew she had to do something.

"I can't imagine that feeling, not knowing where one of my dogs is, and there are so many people that go through that every day. It breaks my heart," she said.

On a mission to get Chris home, Stahl made the 9-hour drive to Alabama to ensure Chris made it back to Elam.

"The look he gave her was like, where have you been woman, and then he snuggled right up into her neck and I knew ... it was awesome," Stahl said.

It only took a few seconds for Chris to slip away from Elam, something she said led to months of tears and anxiety while hoping he would return home. Chris was one of the lucky ones -- and something as small as a microchip made a huge difference.

There are all kinds of ways to track your pet, including a microchip under their skin. When you sign up you will also get emails that let you know if someone lost an animal near you.

There are also GPS trackers you can install on your dog or cat's collar that will alert you if they escape.