Kidnapped canine makes it home

Last Updated : 25 Jul 2018
Bowie and Jo.jpg

Stolen cavoodle Bowie reunited with her mum on 18 July at Auckland Council’s Manukau Animal Shelter.

Bowie was stolen from New Lynn 3 months ago to this day – the police released a video of Bowie being stolen, but were unable to track her down, leaving her owner Jo Hodge devastated.

That is until Auckland Council got a call from a family who found a dog following them home – Bowie. She was brought to Manukau Animal Shelter and thanks to Bowie being microchipped, shelter staff were able to track down her details in their database.

Jo and Bowie had an ecstatic and slightly slobber-filled reunion this morning.

Bowie and Jo 2.jpg
Jo and Bowie reunite.

“We’re excited and so relieved for the owner,” says Sarah Anderson Auckland Council’s Manager of Animal Management.

“It’s great to play a part in bringing this sad story to a happy ending. It’s always our preference to reunite dogs that come into our shelters with their owners and we work hard to make this happen as often as possible.”

“It’s an important reminder of how critical it is to microchip our dogs and keep registration details like phone numbers and addresses up-to-date. That leads to reunions like this, as we can look up an owner’s details and more easily match them with their lost dogs.”

"This is wonderful news,” Councillor Linda Cooper, chair of the council’s Regulatory Committee. “Reuniting dogs with their owners and rehoming them too is a great day for the Animal Management team and was possible here because this dog was registered with us.

“The team rehomes 100 per cent of adoptable dogs that come into the shelters. This is a lovely example of the work they do and the role they play in helping dogs find their families.”

Early bird fees for dog registration renewals are available until 1 August. Renewing online is fast and easy. Head here to renew your dog’s registration now and find out more information.

Don’t forget to also let us know if you need to change your address or change your dog's details.

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