Stolen pet returned nine years after it went missing

PHOENIX, Ariz. - It was a return nine years in the making for one Shih Tzu.

The Shih Tzu, named Brownie, was reunited with his owner after a Valley rescue group took him in, and scanned its microchip.

For every happy side of the story, however, there is a side that is less so. Brownie, 15, was found in pretty bad shape. He is blind and deaf, and rescuers believe he was abandoned, after years of neglect.

"He can't even make it in my home, from one room to another, without a great deal of difficulty," said Kathy Hamel with Arizona Shih Tzu and Small Breed Rescue. "So, he could not have come from the distance of the nearest housing. Someone had to have left him there. It's amazing he wasn't coyote food."

Through scanning the microchip, the name of the dog was discovered, along with the owner, but the contact information was outdated. One of the rescue workers then went on social media to track down the worker.

"Found her on Facebook and PMed her, and asked her if she had a dog named Brownie that had gone missing," said Hamel.

It was then that Brownie's story came to the surface. He went missing from his Peoria home nine years ago, and no one knows who had him for that time. His original owner, however, was exited to get him back.

"I'm just, I can't believe it. I just never thought I would see him again," said Amy Baca. "It's amazing how much people really do care for dogs, and really go out of their way to reunite their owners with their pets."

Rescue officials said the incident with Brownie shows how important it is to not only get dogs microchipped, but to make sure the chip is registered, and that the information is up to date.