Surprise family reunited with stolen dog after 5 1/2 years

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A 4-pound Pomeranian called Princess was quite the celebrity in her West Valley neighborhood, then she was gone.

“Yeah, I did think she was gone forever,” said Daisy Gonzales. “She was part of the family. She went with us everywhere. My parents took her to the casino. I took her to the movies and dinner.” Daisy says Princess was stolen five and half years ago at a Mother’s Day brunch in Phoenix when someone walked off with her pup when she wasn’t looking. “We were all devastated,” said Daisy. " We were out there for hours just looking, and we went back out with a group of people putting up flyers all over the place.”

Princess was never found and the Gonzales family did their best to move on. Then, out of nowhere, the family got a call this week from an animal hospital in Surprise, telling them that a good Samaritan had dropped off Princess after finding her near their home.

“I was just so happy,” said Daisy. “I called my mom. She always had hope and knew we’d get her back one day. I lost hope after a few years. I just hoped she was with a great family, but I was very excited we found her. I’m at a loss for words.”

“I was sleeping and my mom just started yelling at me, saying Dylan guess what?” said Dylan Gonzales. “We got a call that Princess is back. I’m like what? like Princess? 5 1/2 years later? Yeah, it was shocking.”

Dr Lindsey O’'Connell at the White Tanks Animal Hospital says they were able to reunite Princess with her family because Princess was microchipped and had contact information of her owners. “As we all know, animals can be unpredictable, whether a dog steps out of a leash or escapes,” said O’Connell. “Doing something like microchipping is the best way we know how to return that furry friend to their family.”

The Gonzales’ say Princess did remember the family and didn’t take long to warm up to them. She also looked happy to be dressing up again. “Feels great to have her back,” said Dylan.

For more details on microchipping your pet, visit the Maricopa County Animal Care & Control website.

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