A Tammy and Thad Crews said they never gave up hope their small, senior Maltese named Trixie was still alive. But after more than two years of searching for the dog, who went missing from the Crews' front yard in January 2015, it seemed unlikely they'd see the dog again.
Until a phone call from their vet came on Monday.
"The vet said they'd gotten a call from California and that they'd found Trixie," Tammy said. "Thad probably thought someone had died, because I was just so overwhelmed."
A woman had found the dog wandering in a Walmart parking lot in Turlock, California - 2,271 miles from home. She checked the dog for a microchip, which sparked a week long process to get Trixie home.
A California animal shelter cared for and fed the dog. A police officer drove her two hours away to the nearest airport. And on Saturday, she finally arrived in Bowling Green.
It's a reunion the Crews family said would not have happened if their dog didn't have a microchip.
"Our story wouldn't have happened if everyone hadn't done what they did, including us micro-chipping our dog," Tammy said. "It's the happiest ending this story could have."
