Arizona family gets missing dog back after five years

PHOENIX - A Phoenix-area dog owner got the shock of her life when she learned that her missing dog was alive.

Daisy Gonzales said her cute Pomeranian was stolen in 2018, and she never thought she would see her again.

If the cute pup named Princess could talk, she would have quite the story to tell.

Dog went missing during Mother's Day brunch

In May 2018, the Gonzales family went out for Mother's Day brunch in Downtown Phoenix near Roosevelt and Central Avenue. The Pomeranian, who easily fits in a small purse, went as well.

"I was inside with my friend grabbing drinks for everybody and my dad was setting up Jenga, and my mom ran inside saying, ‘Daisy do you have Princess?’ Then we freaked out from there," Daisy Gonzales said.

The family put up posters, went to every animal shelter in the Valley looking for Princess, pleaded on social media for help, and even offered a reward. The case, however, went cold.

Until this week.

Family got surprising call from West Valley clinic

Princess was microchipped, and on Nov. 7, the Gonzales family got a call from a clinic in Surprise, not too far from the family’s home.

"They called me from the White Tanks Animal Hospital saying that a good Samaritan had brought her in, they scanned her and found my information that they found Princess," Gonzales said. "I called right back and said, 'She's been missing for 5 1/2 years. That’s my dog!'"

The family believes whoever stole the dog in 2018 sold it.

"She’s a good-looking dog, she’s tiny, everyone wants a small dog," Gonzales said. "I don't know, I know why they would do it, I don't know who would do it."

Why the now-9-year-old dog ended up at a clinic is a mystery.

"She was happy, looked good, we checked her teeth, they're bad," Gonzales said. "She’s missing a lot, so she definitely needs some dental work done."

The family saved her clothes and custom collar, and tonight, Princess is finally back with her pack.

She remembers my parents, my dad always fed her, so she loves my dad, remembers my mom, she definitely remembers," Gonzales said. "She slept well last night."

Without a microchip, the reunion never would have happened.

The Gonzales family also encourages veterinary clinics to scan for a microchip for any new patient that comes in to verify the owner's identity.