In September 2017, Galveston residents began preparing for Hurricane Irma. Although not in the hurricane’s direct path, Galveston was forecast to get smacked by tropical storms that followed.

A Galveston couple, Alexis and Robert, were busily preparing their home for worst-case scenarios. What they did not plan on was that their beloved dog, Bolt, would find a weak spot in the fence and, well, bolt. Wheel bolt

The couple searched the streets and local shelters for their missing pet. Eventually, the family made the difficult decision to pull up stakes and relocate – without their best buddy.

Fast forward five years. Fort Worth Animal Care & Control’s shelter staff received to their care a dog named Poppy, who was surrendered when his owner entered hospice care.

As with all animals that arrive at the shelter, one of the first steps staff members take is to scan for a microchip. Fortunately, Poppy had a microchip. But when the shelter technician verified the owner’s information, the surrendering party’s name did not match the information on file in the microchip system.

This is where Poppy’s story takes an amazing turn. He was formerly known as Bolt.

The Fort Worth shelter staff reached out to the registered owner on the chip: Alexis, formerly of Galveston, now living in Wyoming.

She was stunned to learn that her dog Bolt, by now missing for five years, was at the Chuck & Brenda Silcox Animal Care & Adoption Center in Fort Worth.

“Fort Worth? Bolt!” she exclaimed.

Alexis said Bolt was her husband’s dog, but Robert had recently died.

When asked if she would like to reclaim her dog, she answered with a quick, “Yes!” but added that she now lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Alexis began to figure how she would reclaim this boy from 850 miles away.

Fort Worth shelter staff was on it.

With a few phone calls, City staff members connected with Flying Shepherd Ranch, a nonprofit organization in Parker, Colorado, that transports rescued dogs in Texas and surrounding states by plane to fosters and adopters in the Mountain States and beyond.

With vigorous planning, one week was all it took for Flying Shepherd Ranch to have Bolt booked on his flight home from North Texas.

Bolt first headed to Colorado, where he and several rescued friends unloaded and parted ways to their final destinations. Courtesy of Flying Shepherd Ranch, Bolt continued north to Cheyenne and into the arms of his overjoyed mom, two human siblings and even a new, furry sibling.

The dog-loving family was overcome with excitement and thankful that they were reunited, all because of a simple microchip. (Pet owners, take note: None of this would have been possible without the owner recognizing the importance of microchipping.)

To learn more about Fort Worth Animal Care & Control and its services, visit the website or contact the City Call Center at 817-392-1234.

Photo: Bolt took a fantastic voyage to Wyoming, where he rejoined his family after five years. The Fort Worth Animal Care & Control staff used microchip information to make the reunion possible.

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