Missing dog found after four years

A man was reunited with his lost dog after four years, thanks to a microchip.

Leovigildo Ramirez of Wisconsin made a 16-hour drive to Philadelphia after finding his dog, Cipi, stray and identified via microchip.

Ramirez told FOX 29 he kept his chip details updated even after moving; This decision turned out to be very important when the dog was finally scanned.

His Jeep went missing in the summer of 2022 while Ramirez was living in a long-term hotel near Philadelphia International Airport.

He and his wife were staying there while he worked as a welder at the Philadelphia Shipyard.

While he was unloading the food, Jeep suddenly ran away, Ramirez said.

The breakthrough came on January 20, when Philadelphia Police picked up the Jeep while it was running on South 74th Street in Southwest Philadelphia.

Officers found her near the hotel where she once lived with Ramirez, police said.

Philly Animal Care and Control believes someone was likely holding Cipi the entire time she went missing (before she escaped or escaped again).

Shelter chief Sarah Barnett said the case showed why microchips were important.

He said: “It’s really a fail-safe. It doesn’t fall off when you’re running or get stuck in a fence or anything like that, and it’s something you can keep updating.”

The trip back to Wisconsin took two days due to severe weather, as Ramirez drove through a massive snowstorm to regroup.

She added: “That was incredible…she’s my best friend.”