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Great reunion By Buffy Pollock Updated: Aug 01, 2022 09:16 PM A A A woman and her missing Great Dane were reunited last week because of a microchip Melony Niles prepares for a kiss from her dog, Zoey, outside of her Central Point residence. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Melony Niles prepares for a kiss from her dog, Zoey, outside of her Central Point residence. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] A 6-year-old Great Dane named Zoey is home with her family after going missing over two-and-a-half years ago — thanks to a microchip. Zoey was found last week, running at large after a structure fire at a home near Talent. Animal control officers who picked up the dog were able to contact Central Point resident Melony Niles because she had microchipped Zoey as a puppy. Niles said she thought she’d never see her beloved blue Dane again, but she always held out hope. “Me and my three kids had four dogs, and we lost our home after I lost my job. I’d never been in a situation like that before. I was just desperately trying to find places for us all to stay. I remember thinking that the biggest dog — Zoey — would probably be the last one I would be able to find a place for because she’s huge. People don’t always want to deal with the really big dogs,” Niles said. “People had suggested putting it out there on Facebook to ask for help. I was really surprised that she was the first dog I got an offer for someone to foster. This lady offered right away. We were chatting back and forth online, and then I went over to meet her. It seemed like it would be a good place.” Over time, however, updates about her dog became fewer and fewer, eventually ceasing altogether, Niles said. By the time Niles got back on her feet, the family that had Zoey had moved without informing Niles. “My saving grace was I remembered I’d microchipped her. I knew if she ever took her in to be seen by a vet, or if someone else did, someone would scan her and get ahold of me,” Niles said. While it wasn’t a veterinary office that scanned Zoey, it was local animal control office Mike Slusarczyk, who was called to help firefighters catch the scared pooch. Slusarczyk said success stories from microchipping have become more frequent in recent years. “As soon as we caught her, I was able to scan for a chip, and immediately it showed up,” he said. “It’s super helpful for our officers to be able to get dogs home right away when we have an owner’s contact information. A tag can fall off, but this is like a permanent tag that’s embedded in the dog, so you know they’ll always make their way back if they get lost.” Niles said she was reveling in having Zoey home — with all the dog’s old habits, from lounging on the couch “sitting like a person” to standing up and giving hugs to her favorite people. “I never thought that I would ever see her again. I got an email from (the microchip service) Home Again saying, ‘Great news! Your dog has been found. We gave your information to Jackson County Animal Shelter, and they’ll be contacting you,’” Niles recalled. “I was in tears. I didn’t even have time to call because the officer, Mike, called me right away.” Niles said Zoey was timid at the shelter but “got really excited” as soon as the pair loaded into Niles’ car. “Once we went outside, it’s like she took a moment to just look at me and smell me, and you could tell she realized, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s my mom!’ She’s back to being the same old young puppy she was. She just doesn’t look like the young puppy she was when I lost her,” said Niles. “Danes don’t live a long time. She was a little older than 4 when I lost her, and she’ll be 7 in December. I don’t know the kind of life she had while she was away from me, but I’m going to make sure whatever time I have left with her she’s going to be spoiled and know how much I love her.” Slusarczyk said Niles’ decision to chip Zoey made for a happy ending that would not have otherwise been possible. While microchipping “with a vet visit and other stuff involved” can be expensive, Slusarczyk said, microchipping clinics at the shelter offer the service for $20. “The really important thing is to remember not just to microchip, but if you’ve been a responsible pet owner and microchipped your cat or dog, make sure to keep the information updated, as well. If your dog is running around, it won’t help if they’re scanned and old information comes up,” he added. “Melony’s physical address had changed, but her phone number had not, and that’s why we were able to get Zoey back home to her. A microchip is a tag that can never fall off or be taken off.” For information about microchip clinics at the Jackson County Animal shelter, see fotas.org/event/by-appointment-low-cost-microchip-clinic-copy/ Reach Mail Tribune reporter Buffy Pollock at 541-776-8784 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.