See Dog, Owner Reunited After 3 Years, States Apart

SAN DIEGO, CA: A dog who disappeared three years ago from a small town on the New Mexico/Texas border is home safe after turning up in San Diego County, officials said Tuesday.

Brownie, a 7-year-old Labrador retriever, was found wandering around the Otay Mesa community Thursday and taken to County Animal Services’ care facility in Bonita. Thanks to a microchip, County Animal Services found his owner’s name, address and telephone number and called his home Friday.

The dog's owner, Ricardo Dominguez, a general contractor who lives in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, suspects someone stole Brownie. He said the dog usually traveled with him everywhere. But three years ago, he left Brownie home one day because was attending a meeting and didn’t want to leave the dog in his vehicle. He said he left the dog behind at his horse ranch with someone to watch over him. When Dominguez returned, the dog was nowhere to be found.

Then, late last week, Dominguez said he got a call from his girlfriend.

“She said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ ‘Yes, but I’m driving,’” said Dominguez. “She said, ‘They found Brownie.’ I say, ‘What? Where is he? San Diego? Do I want to keep him? Hell, yeah!’”

Dominquez wasted no time. He hopped in his vehicle and drove 720 miles non-stop through the night Friday from a job site in El Paso, Texas to Bonita to pick up his dog.

“He looks up through the door at me in my cowboy hat, and his eyes were, wow is that you?” said Dominguez. “His eyes went wide, and he went wild, started dragging the person on the leash, and he came and jumped on me and went crazy!”

Brownie is healthy and happy to be back home, Dominguez says — but he can tell his pet is not the friendly dog he was before. Brownie is acting more territorial and protective of his owners, according to Dominguez, who plans to work with his pet to change that. Nevertheless, he says he’s very happy his dog was microchipped and is thrilled to have him back.

County Animal Services says a microchip is one of the best ways to ensure that a lost animal is found. A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and it doesn’t hurt the animal to get one. County Animal Services offers microchipping for $10 at its three of its animal care facilities. The fee includes national registration.

“I can’t tell you how many times a microchip has made all the difference in reuniting a lost pet with his owner,” said County Animal Services Director Dawn Danielson. “We have success story after success story. It’s such a small investment and the rewards are huge.”