Lost dog reunited with owner after 12 years

A dog that was lost for more than 12 years and ended up in Pittsburgh was reunited Friday with its Florida owner.

Dutchess, a 14-year-old fox terrier, went missing as a puppy on Feb. 28, 2007, in South Florida. She somehow made her way to Pittsburgh, where she was found Tuesday under a shed in Carnegie.

When Dutchess was found she was hungry, shivering and in need of a nail trim, officials said. The property owner brought her to Humane Animal Rescue's North Side Animal Resource Center.

A microchip was found in Dutchess during an examination at Humane Animal Rescue. It traced her back to her original owner in Boca Raton, Florida.

Katheryn Strang, the dog's owner, was shocked when Humane Animal Rescue contacted her, but she immediately made plans to come to Pittsburgh, arriving Friday.

Dutchess and Strang were reunited thanks to the microchip, which Humane Animal Rescue is encouraging pet owners to get for their animals by offering half off through the end of October.

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