“Sixteen years? That's a new record as far as I know," Tom Sharp, president of AKC Reunite, a lost pet recovery service, stated to USA Today.
Thankfully, the following story of a missing pet has a happy ending, as one couple in Annapolis, Maryland, discovered per WUSA.
Ritz, a gray tabby cat, missing for nearly 16 years, was found thanks to an implanted microchip.
Missing Cat Found Thanks to Microchip
Jason and Liz McKenry had an adorable kitten named Ritz before they had children or even married. Ritz decided to embark on an adventure and ran out the apartment door sixteen years ago when he was two years old. He was never seen again.
Jason and Liz, both heartbroken, searched for Ritz for months, trying everything in their power to find their beloved kitty.
Their fortunes changed a few weeks ago.
Ritz had been surviving for the past few years thanks to the kindness of strangers near Lums Pond. It was one of those strangers who found the stray cat with a severe leg injury six miles from Jason's old apartment.
The woman who brought Ritz in expected the cat to be euthanized.
Fortunately, the vet's microchip scan discovered Ritz's chip, which contained contact information for the McKenrys.
According to CBS News, Ritz's family happily agreed to take him back home and help him heal.
Liz claimed she had kept Ritz's lost poster to remember her kitten all these years.
Ritz had been lost for 16 years, but hope had never died.
The Importance of Microchipping Your Pet
According to CBS News, Ritz now holds the record for the pet missing the longest before being found, thanks to a microchip.
Tom Sharp, president of AKC Reunite, expects shelters and veterinarians to scan animals for microchips when they are brought in or before they are adopted.
Microchipping is a quick, painless, and highly effective way to ensure that your dog or cat returns to you if they escape the yard or wander off on their own. Hopefully, if you haven't had your pets microchipped yet, stories like this will persuade you to contact your veterinarian.
What are your thoughts on this cat owners’ heartwarming reunion with their beloved feline? Please share in the comments.
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