Missing Mississippi Chihuahua mix found in Central Florida 5 years later
By Pamela Comme
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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — After five long years apart, Penny, a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix, is finally going home to Mississippi.
The small dog vanished from her family’s yard, and for years, no one knew what had happened to her.
“We thought Penny was a goner for sure,” said Kristy Taylor, Penny’s owner. “A few months went by. We had posted her in some Facebook missing pet groups, and we never got any bites, so we just assumed that she had moved on with life, with a new family. And indeed she did.”
It’s unclear where Penny has been all this time, but one thing is certain: She is healthy, happy and well-fed.
“She’s a little bigger. She’s put on a little weight,” Taylor said.
Volusia County Animal Services Director Angela Miedema believes Penny has likely been cared for during her time away.
“With her condition being so good, it’s conceivable that somebody would have cared for her now. She could have even gone through a couple different homes at this point. We really don’t know her background or anything like that,” Miedema said.
How Penny ended up in DeLand remains a mystery. Last week, she was spotted wandering the streets and found by Briana Rideout.
“I put up posters at the intersection. My boyfriend and I knocked on every door for about a block radius around us. We made friends with many neighbors, but no one claimed her. No one knew who had maybe lost her,” Rideout said.
On Monday, Penny was taken to the county shelter. A simple microchip scan changed everything.
Her original owners, the Taylors, got the call they never expected, and by the next day, they were on the road to bring her home.
“We were coming to get our dog. Yes. Oh, I’m so glad that we were called,” Taylor said.
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