Microchip Helps Dog Found in St. Cloud Return Home to Indiana

ST. CLOUD -- A lost dog found in St. Cloud is heading back home after being missing for the past five months.

Zino, a Maltese mix, was found as a stray last week, with no information as to where he came from.

St. Cloud Animal Control Officer Michelle Booth picked up Zino after a call from a concerned resident. She says each animal they find is scanned for a microchip to see if they have an owner. Booth says not only did Zino have a chip, but he didn't live in Minnesota.

When I called the 24-hour Pet Watch, they said the owner put in the report Zino had been missing since February and the owner lived in Indiana. So we did a three way call to the owner and she was so excited.

Booth says while it hasn't been proven, police in Indiana believe Zino was taken from his home.

Zino has spent the past week at the Tri-County Humane Society getting a little tender loving care before heading home.

Anna Stratton with the Tri-County Humane Society says this is a good example of the importance to microchip your pets

We microchip every dog and cat we adopt out. The microchip is awesome because it's an ID tag that can't be lost, it can't fall off the collar and it's always with the pet where ever they go.

Stratton says microchips are not that expensive and can be done at most veterinary clinics.

As for Zino, thanks to the efforts by the humane society, Grey Face Rescue and Mutt Mutt Engine, he should be catching a flight back home in the next day or two and reunited with his owner this weekend.