Missing for over 4 years, this dog is finally back with his family thanks to his microchip
Just before Christmas 2021, Linsey Frawley and her family took their dog, Owl, to a groomer’s to be cleaned up for the holidays. Then the groomer phoned to say he had run away. As Azfamily reported, more than four years would pass before the family saw him again.
At home in Sedona, Owl had been part of the family’s everyday life. Linsey described their pets as family members, and Owl had accompanied them wherever they went. Recalling life with him before his disappearance, she said: “He went everywhere with us.”
When the groomer called, Linsey asked what she meant and where her dog was. The groomer repeated that he had run away. The family began looking for Owl, continuing their search for years without finding him.
They made missing-dog posters and enlisted others to help put them up, including around Cottonwood and Rimrock. Despite those efforts, there was no sign of Owl. Over time, the family lost hope of bringing him home and began to accept that he might no longer be alive.
A microchip identifies the dog beside the road
Owl was eventually found by Pinetop police, wandering alone beside a road three hours from home. His microchip enabled him to be identified. More than four years after his disappearance, the family were reunited with the dog they had spent so long searching for.
For Linsey’s son, Mason Goodson, seeing Owl again felt surreal. He compared the reunion to coming home and finding a relative he had believed he would never see again:
“It’s like if one of my dead relatives were to be sitting on my couch when I got home or something. It feels the same,”
But Owl returned in poor condition. His fur was severely matted, his eyes and mouth were sealed shut, and initially he could not walk, see or hear. Linsey said no animal should have to experience what he had been through.
Recovery, with questions still unanswered
His return left the missing years unexplained. The family suspected that he might have been stolen from the groomer’s and spent years living with someone else, but they did not know what had happened. Mason said they would contact the police if they discovered that someone was responsible.
By the time of the report, Owl was running again. He had also returned to a familiar place: the same park his family used to take him to before his disappearance.
The family’s focus was on Owl’s recovery and helping him enjoy however many years he had left.
By Anthony Pruvost
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