A California Highway Patrol officer’s detour from a routine call on Friday afternoon led to a happy reunion for a Montecito family and their lost dog.
The incident began around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23, when CHP Officer Vaughan was responding to a report of a vehicle blocking a roadway in Montecito.
According to a statement from the Santa Barbara CHP office, while en route, Officer Vaughan was flagged down by a concerned citizen regarding a loose German Shorthaired Pointer at the intersection of East Mountain Drive and Riven Rock Road.
Prioritizing the animal’s safety, Officer Vaughan diverted from his original call to assist. The dog, which was described as well-behaved but was not wearing a collar, was safely placed into the officer’s patrol vehicle.
In an effort to identify the owner, Officer Vaughan took the dog to Montecito Pet Hospital to be scanned for a microchip, but none was found. The dog was then transported to the Santa Barbara Humane Society to be cared for with food, water, and any necessary medical attention.
Later in the day, in a stroke of good fortune, the dog’s owners flagged down another officer, CHP Officer Zaragoza, in the same area to report their missing pet. Through communication between the two officers, they were able to connect the found dog with its worried family.
The CHP expressed their delight at the positive outcome, concluding their statement with, “We are so happy there was a happy reunion!”
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Great! Microchipping should be legally required to claim your lost pet at the shelter. This could have been a much shorter story and saved lots of time and grief. Microchip your pets! It’s cheap and easy. You can do it at the vaccine clinics at the pets stores or the Humane Society for quite cheap, or at your regular vet. Your pets deserve it!
Don’t get me wrong, but I love
Dogs, when doid the Highway Patrol officers start doing animal control duties? Is that their normal jurisdiction riven rock and Mountain Drive? I thought that sheriffs.?
Don’t drink and comment.
If only all lost pets were so lucky as to receive this type of attention and rescue.