Spanky, a Shih Tzu mix, is Virginia Bell’s pet dog that went missing six years ago. Bell assumed the puppy had either gotten away or had been stolen. Bell and her family looked for Spanky for years but could not locate him and even began to think that her cherished pet would not be returning home.
Six years later, Patty Giarrusso of Lost Pet Services, Inc. called Virginia Bell one morning saying she found Spanky. She was, without a doubt, referring to Spanky the Shih Tzu. Lost Pet Services checked Spanky’s microchip and found out that it was still linked to Bell’s current information.
A few months ago, Spanky was found by a good samaritan named Heather. Heather Von Seggern was walking her Golden Retriever when she came across Spanky. Spanky was in bad shape, but Von Seggern suspected that his family was looking for him. As a result, she took him home with her.
But, unfortunately, Spanky seems to have been abused or neglected. His hair was matted and flea-infested, and his nails were overgrown as well. It’s unclear where he’d been for the past few months, but it appears that his time alone was not pleasant.
Spanky had a long road to recovery ahead of him, but his family was delighted to see him. Unfortunately, Spanky was shy and fearful even around his loved ones, so Bell felt someone hadn’t been pleasant to the dog while he was gone. She had to train him again and take him to the veterinarian for a staph infection and other medical issues.
Bell gave Spanky (the Shih Tzu) a new name, “Gizmo,” to avoid confusion with her other pet dog who had the same name. Fortunately, Gizmo gets well with Bell’s other dog, Spanky, a Yorkie.
Lost Pet Services advises dog owners that microchipping their dogs is the most effective way to keep them from becoming separated from their families. He might never have discovered his family if it hadn’t been for Spanky’s microchip.
All photos courtesy of abcactionnews.com