Detroit Animal Care and Control rescues, reunites dog with family year after pet goes missing

Thursday August 29, Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC) was able to reunite a missing French Bulldog, Leo, found abandoned in a Detroit home, with its rightful owner. DACC received a tip about a dog left inside a home that was boarded up on Detroit’s east side and learned the home was privately owned, which prompted an abandonment investigation.

A notice from DACC was left at the home and the animal control investigator did routine checks on Leo for three days to determine whether he was abandoned. A search warrant was obtained to legally enter the home and rescue the dog. Once the investigator got into the home August 23, Leo jumped right into her arms.

It was discovered the pet had a registered microchip and was flagged as missing. The DACC District 4 Investigator assigned to the case, Melanie Fulkerson, called the owner who explained her French Bulldog went missing August 2023 when their family was at a relative’s home in Dearborn. The owner lived in Ann Arbor, but within the last year relocated to Arizona, so she arranged family to pick up Leo from DACC shelter, Thursday August 29. Leo is two years old.

Detroit Animal Care and Control stresses the importance of microchipping your pet, so if an emergency comes up, they can quickly be reunited with their owner.

“It’s important to get your pet microchipped but it’s also important to keep the information attached to the microchip current. If your pet goes missing, update your microchip to say my dog or cat is missing,” said Melanie Fulkerson, District 4 Investigator for DACC. 

Monday September 2 (Labor Day), Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control and Bloomfield Pointe Veterinary and Animal Clinic East are hosting a free dog vaccine clinic for Detroit residents only. The clinic will include free vaccines and microchip from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 13910 8-mile Detroit, MI 48205.