Inmaculada Jackman had learned that Chong was alive, but she still had to wait. The dog missing from her Nebraska home for five years had been found 642 miles away in Indiana, where a microchip connected him to someone else.
Staff at the Hendricks County Animal Shelter contacted the person associated with the chip. Jackman said she was told that person had three days to respond before Chong could be released to his first family.
The waiting period ended without a response. Jackman was then able to re-adopt the dog she had continued searching for since his disappearance in 2021.
Chong had escaped from Jackman’s home in Lincoln. The initial search did not bring him back, but the family continued returning to its former neighborhood and driving through the area in case they saw Chong or spotted someone walking him.
I still looked for him. We still went to our old neighborhood and drove around and looked to see if we could see anyone walking him or if he was running around somewhere, Jackman said.
Five years later, a friend alerted Jackman to an online notice about a dog found behind a truck stop in Indiana. Jackman recognized Chong and contacted the shelter, beginning the identification and release process.
There is no verified account of where Chong lived during those five years or how he traveled from Nebraska to Indiana. What is known is that someone had him microchipped while he was missing, creating a second identification trail when shelter staff scanned him.
What a microchip can and cannot establish
A pet microchip is not a tracking device. The American Veterinary Medical Association explains that it contains an identification number, which can be matched with contact details in a registration database.
That makes registration as important as implantation. The AVMA advises owners to register a chip and update the associated phone number, address and other contact information whenever those details change.
The organization also recommends collars with current identification because microchips do not replace visible tags. Owners can ask a veterinarian to scan a chip during routine preventive care to confirm that it can still be detected.
Chong’s case also illustrates why a microchip record may not resolve every ownership question by itself. When records conflict or a pet has been missing for years, a shelter may request additional documentation before releasing the animal.
Requirements depend on the shelter and jurisdiction. Official Loudoun County Animal Services guidance, for example, lists a dog license, veterinary record, bill of sale or adoption contract among the documents that can establish ownership when they include identifying information about the animal and owner.
Austin Animal Services similarly tells claimants to bring veterinary records or a photograph of the pet. Keeping adoption papers, licensing information, vaccination records and clear photographs together can give an owner more than one way to support a claim.
Holding periods also are not uniform. Austin Animal Services says pets in its care are held for 72 hours before they may be released for adoption or transfer, while Albuquerque’s municipal guidance describes different minimum periods depending on whether an animal has identification. Chong’s three-day response period should not be treated as a rule that applies at every shelter.
If a missing dog is located after a long absence, owners can contact the shelter promptly and ask which records it requires. They can also gather veterinary and adoption documents, photographs, license information and any existing microchip registration while shelter staff complete their process.
When Chong and Jackman were reunited, he initially appeared confused. He later cuddled with her and barked, then returned to a household that now included Che Che, a dog the family acquired after Chong disappeared.
Jackman’s message to other owners reflected the length and distance involved in Chong’s return: Never lose hope. It’s been five years and we found him.
What would you do if your dog were in this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
By Sarah Mitchell — 8 years as a local-news reporter covering animal welfare, shelters, neighborhood disputes, and public-safety pet stories.
