A Las Vegas woman is happy her dog has returned home safe and sound nearly 10 years after he went missing.
On February 3, 2015, Judith Monarrez, 37, was 28 years old when her 2-year-old Chihuahua mix, Gizmo, escaped from her backyard, the Associated Press reported.
A Facebook page set up to search for the dog said someone saw Gizmo being put into a “red coloured vehicle”, but he has since been nowhere to be found.
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That was until July 17, 2024, when Monarrez received the email he had been waiting for for years: someone had found Gizmo.
The dog was found in Henderson, Nevada, and taken to an emergency veterinary clinic.
Gizmo, shown here, was finally recovered on July 17, 2024, over nine years after it went missing. (Judith Monarres via The Associated Press)
After being scanned at the vet, the microchip notified Monarrez that her precious puppy had been found.
“He was dropped off at the Animal Emergency Center in Henderson by a woman,” Monarrez wrote on the “Bring Gizmo Home” Facebook page.
“Police told us the woman said she had been ‘trying to get him for two months,’ but his fur was badly matted and his nails were overgrown and curled,” she wrote.
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Monarrez said at the time that Gizmo had been struggling to stand and walk, and may have suffered a broken neck, she wrote on Facebook.
After the two were finally reunited, Monarrez told the Associated Press that it was a “miracle” that the dog had returned home and that she was “very happy.” [she] The microchip has been registered.”
Gizmo went missing in Las Vegas in 2015 and was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic in nearby Henderson more than nine years later. (iStock)
“He looked completely different, but as soon as I saw his eyes I knew it was Gizmo,” Monarrez told The Associated Press.
“And as soon as I called his name, he tilted his head and kept looking at me.”
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Gizmo’s time away from Monarrez hasn’t been easy.
A GoFundMe page set up by Monarrez said her dog was found in “extremely poor condition” with “multiple infections” and dental disease.
“We don’t know what Gizmo has been through these past few years while he was away from us.”
“We are all a bit shocked at his condition. We don’t know what Gizmo has been through these past few years away from us, but we are so happy he’s home and that we can help him recover,” Monarrez wrote on the GoFundMe page, which has more than doubled its $4,000 goal.
In an update on July 23, Monarrez wrote that Gizmo was recovering and doing well.
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“He’s gained a foothold in the house and is snuggled up to his brother Benji,” she wrote. “He’s also finding his voice and for the first time since coming home, we’ve heard barking at the doorbell.”
“His eye infection seems to be responding well to the medication.”
Additionally, “his eye infection seems to be responding well to the prescribed medication and he will be seen for a follow-up in a week,” she said.
But for now, Monarrez and her parents told The Associated Press: [Gizmo] With all the love we have had for many years.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Monarrez for further updates on Gizmo’s recovery.
The microchip is inserted under your pet’s skin and activated when scanned at the vet’s office. (iStock)
Starting August 1, Las Vegas will require all cats and dogs over the age of four months to be microchipped, according to the Associated Press.
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“A microchip is a tiny electronic chip contained in a glass tube about the size of a grain of rice,” the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website states.
The pet microchip is activated when scanned and has no batteries, and contains information about the pet’s owner, along with contact details.
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The City of Las Vegas states on its website that failing to microchip a pet “is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, if convicted.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
