Dog Lost In New Mexico Reunited With Owner In Duluth
After nearly two months and over 1,000 miles, Poppy and her family were reunited
DULUTH, Minn. — A Texas family was left heartbroken when their dog, Poppy, escaped while staying with a family friend in New Mexico. Nearly two months later, she showed up across the country in Duluth.
Poppy is a Southern dog at heart, but she found herself in snow and frigid temperatures. While Poppy was trying to stay warm early in the morning, a local resident found her early on their porch. 
Thanks to social media and Poppy’s microchip, they were able to get into contact with Poppy’s family and FaceTime them that same day. Just thinking about that phone call and seeing her again, made Nicholas Roberts emotional.
“It was really neat just to see her again for first time and just shocking, really, because we weren’t really expecting to see her again,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas and his brother left their home outside of Austin the very next day. When they arrived in Duluth, they were still in awe that Poppy was alive, let alone in northern Minnesota. Most of her journey is unknown. No one is quite sure how a Texas dog, staying in New Mexico, ended up in Duluth.
One thing is for sure. Once here, everyone who met Poppy fell in love with her, including those at Northland Boarding & Grooming.
“If you spend five minutes in the kennel with her, she doesn’t want you to leave,” said Kimberly Anderson, manager of Northland Boarding & Grooming. “She wants you to be right there with her. I have never met a more sweet and loving dog, especially considering the circumstances that she did come from.”
Nicholas said Poppy is the best of both worlds, she loves to cuddle but she also has so much energy and loves to run. And run she did, right from New Mexico to Minnesota and into her owner’s arms.
As soon as Nicholas mentioned some of Poppy’s favorite places: home, car rides, and the creek, she was ready to start her journey back to Texas.
A huge factor in making Poppy’s reunion with her family possible was her microchip. When she was brought into the emergency vet, they were able to scan her chip and identify Poppy, as well as get her owner’s contact information.
“This is a prime example of why all animals, all of our furry friends, should always be microchips,” Kimberly said. “I mean, New Mexico to Duluth, Minnesota, that is crazy. So for her to make it that far, and just a little chip, which normally costs maybe $20 and five to ten minutes of your time, can bring your best friend back home with your family.”
“It saved us it helped us find our dog so yeah,” Nicholas said. “I never would have thought it was important before but now it seems legit.”
Poppy and her owner are already on their way back to Texas, where the family reunion will continue.
