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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A San Francisco family is celebrating after being reunited with their dog more than a year after she went missing.
Peach slipped out of her family's home 13 months ago and, despite searching and holding out hope, her family eventually feared the worst—even holding a memorial to say goodbye.
But thanks to the tiny microchip embedded under her skin, Peach has finally made her way back home.
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According to Marin Humane, a shelter in Marin County, Peach was recently rescued in Marin County, just outside of San Francisco. When she was brought into the shelter, staff followed standard procedure and scanned her for a microchip. That scan provided the link back to her family, who had assumed they would never see her again.
A few days ago, a San Rafael police officer spotted a dog who appeared in distress. The people with her claimed ownership, but concerned about the dog's safety, the officer removed the dog from their care and took her to Marin Humane's Animal Services officers, who brought her to the shelter.
Lisa Bloch, from Marin Humane, who helped facilitate the reunion, explained how Peach had been kept by someone who found her but never checked shelters or vets for a chip.
"The microchip was literally Peach's ticket home," Bloch told Newsweek. "These chips are connected to a national registry, and it connected us with her family who'd been missing her terribly and assumed she was gone forever."
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An Emotional Reunion
The heartwarming reunion was caught on camera, and delighted staff at the shelter almost as much as the family.
"This was one of those days that we at the shelter live for," Bloch said. "The pure joy on both the little boy's and the father's faces was incredibly heartwarming. And to see Peach's reaction when she realized it was her family there brought literally tears to pretty much everyone's eyes."
In a video shared on Marin Humane's Facebook page, Peach was captured running excitedly back to her family, her whole body wagging with joy.
Marin Humane said it hopes Peach's story will highlight the importance of microchipping pets. While most shelter adoptions include microchipping, many pets bought from breeders are not.
"Microchips are inexpensive and implanted easily," Bloch said. "It's important, however, to remember to update a microchip if you move or change phone numbers."
Earlier this week another heartwarming reunion revealed the moment another puppy was reunited with her owners after being missing for months.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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