After five years and nearly a thousand kilometers: Lost dog returns to owners
The Jackman family from Nebraska lost their dog, Chong, five years ago. He was recently found by chance in Indiana, nearly 1,000 kilometers from his original home. The owner's message: "Never lose hope."
Immaculada Jackman has been reunited with her beloved dog after years of separation. The dog was located at a remote truck stop, where it was discovered that he carried someone else's microchip. Only after three days, when it became clear that no one would come to claim him, was she able to adopt him back.
"Everyone was praying that the other people would not make contact," she said.
A family from Nebraska has been reunited with their lost dog, Chong, five years after he disappeared from their home. The dog was found behind a truck stop in Indiana, more than 600 miles (nearly 1,000 kilometers) from where he was originally lost. Immaculada Jackman said she was heartbroken when Chong ran away from their home in Lincoln in 2021, but despite the years that passed, the family never lost hope that they would find him one day.
"I kept looking for him," Jackman told local TV station WKRC. "We kept going back to our old neighborhood, driving the streets, and checking to see if we would see anyone walking with him or if he was wandering in the area." Five years later, hope became reality when a friend sent her a social media post stating that Chong had been found behind a truck stop in Indiana.
Jackman contacted an animal shelter in Hendricks County to retrieve her dog, but learned that someone had implanted a new identification chip in Chong during his absence. The shelter explained they were required to contact the person registered to the chip and give them three days to collect the dog. If there was no response within that timeframe, she was told, it would be possible to release Chong to his original family.
After three days passed without a response, Jackman was allowed to re-adopt Chong. Upon his return home, he was warmly welcomed by his owners and by Cha-Cha, another dog the family had adopted after Chong disappeared. Footage from the meeting at the shelter shows that while Chong was initially confused, he soon cuddled with his owner and barked with joy.
Jackman believes her story should serve as a source of hope for anyone who has lost a pet and is still waiting for its return.
"Never lose hope," she said. "Five years went by, and we found him."
