Dog Lost During Sandy Found in Shelter 18 Months Later

18 months after their family dog ran away during super storm Sandy, Chuck and Elicia James decided to

adopt a new dog. Little did they realize the momentous surprise waiting for them at their local shelter-- ?their long lost terrier-pit bull mix, Reckless.

While the James family searched high and low for their lost pooch, after a year and a half, they decided that it was time to move on and get their family another dog. They went over to the Monmouth County SPCA

, and as luck would have it, the first dog they were introduced to was a recently rescued pooch called ?Lucas,? that looked eerily similar to the James? lost pup.

?He immediately recognized us. And then the tears came -- there wasn't a dry eye in the place,? said Chuck James.

Jerry Rosenthal, president and CEO of the Monmouth County SPCA, believes that Reckless was first taken in by the shelter in November after being found on the street. He was then adopted by another family, but ran away back to the shelter.

?If Reckless had been microchipped, we could have reunited him with his family much sooner,? said Rosenthal. ?We love happy endings. I always tell people our goal is to prevent animals from coming into the shelter except when we can get them back to their original owners.?

And while their story ended happily, for many families in a similar situation, it does not. Yes, the James family was able to reunite with their long lost dog, and their family is now whole again (minus their house which was lost in the storm). However, had Reckless been microchipped, what ended up being an 18 month long separation, ended by chance alone, could have been rectified the moment the dog was brought into the shelter.?The moral -- get your dog microchipped.Source: Daily News - Reunited! Pooch Lost in Hurricane Sandy is Matched with his Former Owners at Animal Shelter

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