CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte family was reunited with its dog six years after she disappeared.
The Garay family first brought Lilly home 11 years ago.
"This is the shampoo we got for Lilly when we bought her; I still have this bottle."
They pampered the doodle mix for a few years until she wandered off one day.
"I was searching for her but never found her," said Jackie Garay.
After six years passed, the family thought they'd never see Lilly again. However, on Saturday, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Care and Control found the pup wandering aimlessly without an owner.
"I scanned for a microchip, and it came back with a microchip number," said Officer Katie Caffray.
The microchip led Lilly home. Officer Caffray knocked on the door and asked if they owned a dog.
“They’re like, 'No, we don’t have a dog,' and I’m like, 'Do you have a dog named Lilly?' And their mouths dropped," Officer Caffray explained.
"We were like, 'What is this a joke?' But we asked to see her. And we saw her, and it was, it was amazing," said Garay.
"And I’m like holy crap!" exclaimed Officer Caffray.
After all of these years, Lilly still knows commands and responds to her name. She was even familiar with her old house.
"Every night, we pray for her, and I'm so happy that she's back."
CMPD Animal Care and Control posted the story on Facebook to remind pet owners about the importance of micro-chipping.
"THIS is one of several reasons why we highly recommend micro-chipping your pets!" the post read.
By the way, a microchip is not a GPS device; you should always update the information connected to it such as your address and phone number.
Charlotte's next monthly micro-chipping clinic is Saturday at the city's animal control office from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. The cost is $10.