
It is a Christmas miracle that Zeppelin, a three-year-old German shepherd mix who went missing last year, is about to reunite with his family.
A few weeks ago, Zeppelin's owner Sandra O'Neil received a call from the company that makes the microchip implanted in the dog. They informed her that someone found him wandering on a woman's property in Kansas, 1,600 miles from his hometown, California.
The Alsation mix went missing more than a year ago in West Sacramento, California, NPR reported. O'Neil was in shock as she got the news of its homecoming. Zeppelin, named after his owner's favourite band, Led Zeppelin, made a sudden appearance after a year 1,600 miles away from California, in Kansas, without any possible explanation.
According to the owner, Zeppelin is a friendly dog. In 2021, he used to visit a construction site near his house where the workers gave him treats. Every day after getting pets and treats, he would come home, or the owner fetched him. However, one evening, O'Neil could not find Zeppelin, even in his regular zones.
After many unsuccessful inquiries, she turned to Facebook. In addition, she held onto the fact that Zeppelin was a micro-chipped dog. Even though Sandra O'Neil lived on a farm, surrounded by animals all day, she hoped for the German shepherd to return.
Before he went missing, Zeppelin fathered a litter of puppies. They were only a few weeks old when he disappeared. O'Neil kept two of them, Angus and Sweet Pea, while she gave away the most.
Mary Hastings, a Californian woman, has volunteered to drive Zeppelin home. The family have missed having him around and is delighted to have him back. During the press conference, the family expressed gratitude towards Mary for her help.
(With inputs from agencies)
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