Dog reunited with Texas family years after going missing. ‘She remembers her name’

A Texas family had an emotional reunion with its dog named Jill, who had been missing for years.

Friends of the Animal Village, a nonprofit that provides support for Little Rock Animal Village in Arkansas, is crediting Jill’s microchip for her return.

“If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times. Microchips save lives!” the organization said in a July 28 post. “This family just drove all the way from Texas to be reunited with their beloved Jill.”

The Smith family told KLRT their dogs — Jack and Jill — disappeared from their backyard three summers ago.

The family eventually moved to Texas, but an officer in Little Rock recently picked up the lost dog and brought her to the shelter, the nonprofit said.

Then came the Smith family’s quick journey to Arkansas.

“We were so ecstatic, like we got off of work, actually we clocked out early, like we are getting on the road. We didn’t pack anything, like we literally hopped in our vehicles and zoomed to Little Rock,” Brittnee Smith told KLRT.

The nonprofit called it a “happy ending” and reminded people to microchip their pets. The process allows staff at animal shelters to quickly find the pet’s owner.

“She remembers her name,” Brittnee Smith said.

This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Dog reunited with Texas family years after going missing. ‘She remembers her name’."