"Bandit" was reunited with his family Sept. 29 at the County Animal Shelter in Carlsbad.
CARLSBAD–Thanks to a Good Samaritan and a microchip, a Paradise Hills family was reunited with their best friend.
The happy reunion between the Garcia family and “Bandit,” their beloved male Beagle, was held September 29 at the County Animal Shelter in Carlsbad.
“Having your animal microchipped is a painless procedure that truly does ensure that your pet has a ticket home,” said Dawn Danielson, Director of the Department of Animal Services.
On Monday, September 27, a Good Samaritan contacted the Department of Animal Services after finding the Beagle running loose in the Santa Ysabel area in northern San Diego County. How the dog ended up in Santa Ysabel is a mystery, but it is safe to assume that someone brought the dog there from the San Diego area.
As is the normal procedure, the dog was scanned for a microchip and one was detected. Animal Services staff then contacted the microchip company to obtain the owner’s information. Gil Garcia, the dog’s owner, was immediately notified and arrangements were made for the family to pick up the dog at the County Animal Shelter in Carlsbad.
”Bandit,” it turns out, had vanished from the Garcia’s home in the Paradise Hills community in San Diego in March of this year.
The Department of Animal Services strongly encourages all pet owners to have their animals’ microchipped as a form of positive identification and to register the microchip with both the company and the animal shelter.
Microchips can be obtained at all three of the County animal shelters every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. Dogs must have a current license or the owner must purchase one at the time in order to obtain the microchip.
For more information on microchips and other services, visit the Department of Animal Services website at www.sddac.com.
