Dog found 3,000 miles away from home to return to owner

PORTLAND, Ore. — A dog found almost 3,000 miles away from home after vanishing five months ago will be flown back to her owner by the company that made the microchip responsible for identifying the animal.

The female Jack Russell terrier named Gidget was discovered outside Portland by a shelter volunteer earlier this month after going missing near Philadelphia in April.

Deborah Wood, animal services manager at Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter in Hillsboro, Oregon, said on Friday that Gidget should be cleared for travel by Saturday.

The shelter used the dog’s PetLink-brand embedded microchip to locate its owner, who was ecstatic but could not afford the cost of a cross-country flight for her pet, Wood said.

When news of the dog’s mysterious long-distance journey began to draw attention, PetLink offered to pay for Gidget’s trip home, and an anonymous donor volunteered to cover all other costs associated with the animal’s care, Wood said.

“She’s become a celebrity dog,” the shelter manager said. “She’s been getting her fair share of doting at the shelter, but our number one priority is to reunite her with her person.”

Gidget’s owner, she added, has asked to remain anonymous.