DELAND, Fla. – A Mississippi dog that went missing five years ago has been reunited with her owner after being found nearly 400 miles away in Central Florida, highlighting the importance of pet microchipping.
Penny, who disappeared from her yard in Lucedale, Mississippi, was discovered last week in a DeLand driveway, leading to an emotional reunion made possible by a tiny microchip.
“I answered the phone, and she starts telling me who she is and where she’s located, and asked me if I had a dog missing,” said Kristy Tayler, Penny’s owner. “When she mentioned Penny, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Penny, we were just talking about her.’”
The unexpected journey home began when DeLand resident Brianna Rideout spotted what she initially thought was a cat in her driveway.
“I saw what I thought was a cat in my driveway and got a little excited because I have four cats,” Rideout said. “It was not a cat, and I ended up watching her dodge several cars in the road. I immediately threw on pants and ran outside and got her to come to me.”
After finding the dog, Rideout and her boyfriend exhausted every option to locate the owner. They posted in neighborhood Facebook groups, put up signs, and finally brought Penny to Volusia County Animal Services to check for a microchip.
The scan revealed contact information that led to the surprising call to Mississippi, where Tayler immediately made plans to fly to Florida to retrieve her long-lost companion.
Volusia Animal Control emphasizes that while Penny’s case is unusual in terms of distance, it demonstrates the vital role of microchipping in reuniting lost pets with their owners.
“Just one little microchip the size of a grain of rice can reunite an animal years and years later,” a Volusia Animal Control representative said.
Penny has now returned to Mississippi with Tayler, where she’ll meet her new furry siblings and resume the life she left behind five years ago.
Breaking News Alerts
Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.