This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two and a half years ago, a Washington family's dog, Timber, disappeared. But now, the family is celebrating Thanksgiving after having experienced something miraculous: Timber reappeared, hundreds of miles away.
Salt Lake County Animal Services picked up Timber, believed to be a Rottweiler-pit bull mix, Friday, according to marketing and communications coordinator Sandy Nelson. Officials thought he was a stray, but soon discovered he had been implanted with a microchip. The information for a woman listed as Timber's owner was out of date, Nelson said, but a secondary listing included the woman's son.
Nelson said officials managed to contact the family and learned they live in Washington. By Monday, the family had driven to Utah and reunited with Timber for the first time in years.
"They were absolutely thrilled," Nelson added. "They were absolutely overjoyed that he had been found."
Officials do not believe Timber walked all the way from Washington to Utah, with Nelson saying it's more likely he was picked up at some point and driven the hundreds of miles to the Salt Lake County.
Nelson also said the incident shows how important it is to microchip pets and keep the information on the chip current.
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