Share Your #ReunionStory

Chase’s Big Adventure: From Lost Pup to Budding Viticulturist

The yard had always been his kingdom, a place of playful bounces and reckless zoomies. But on Sunday, something went wrong—one moment, Chase was chasing butterflies, and the next, he was in a world much bigger than he ever imagined.

Four long nights passed, and the little pup faced the daunting challenge of surviving alone. He wandered beneath moonlit skies, searching for something familiar, something that smelled like home. Each rustling leaf and distant bark became a puzzle piece in his quest.

Then, just down the road, the vineyard welcomed its newest and most unexpected recruit. Chase had spent his missing days honing his grape-tending skills—observing the vines, ensuring no sneaky pests sabotaged the harvest, and possibly even contemplating whether Merlot or Shiraz suited his refined puppy palate.

But amidst his grand adventure, Chase faced a setback—somewhere along the way, he lost his collar, leaving him without any visible proof of who he belonged to. Had it not been for his microchip, his journey home might have taken much longer. Thankfully, a kind-hearted man spotted the wandering apprentice in the vines and whisked him to safety. At the vet clinic, a quick scan revealed his true identity, and soon, the phone call arrived: “We have your dog!”

The reunion was nothing short of joyous. Chase bolted into familiar arms, tail wagging with the force of a thousand happy beats. His grand adventure had come to an end, and as he nestled back into his cozy home, one thing was certain: his days as a vineyard trainee might be over, but he’d always carry the wisdom of the vines in his paws.

Of course, the winery may still keep him on as their official pest control officer—because let’s be honest, those birds don’t stand a chance against Chase’s boundless energy!

- Meagan

Microchip To The Rescue

We live on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and recently my father who lives 4hrs away got quite sick. We rushed up to be by his bedside and organised friends to feed our girl while we were away. Unfortunately dad passed away on the Saturday morning, and Sunday morning our friends rang to say Luna wasn't in the backyard when they went to feed her. We rushed home and had half the town looking for her with us and for 4 days had absolutely nothing. Hundreds of shares on fb, posters, the works, nothing. On day 5 a vet half an hour away rang, saying someone had dropped her off and they had scanned her microchip and it flagged straight away that I had marked her as missing with CAR. 20 mins later we were on the way home with our girl, and I have no doubt without her microchip and the fact I'd marked her as missing that we would've probably never got our fur baby back.

- Jarrod

Stolen & Dumped | Happily Home After 7 months

On a rare night late in 2024 when I was away from home Gus slipped through our back door. As a friendly but timid indoor cat Gus was spooked soon after and fled over one of our fences. I followed suggested protocols for finding lost cats in the following 24 hours, with no luck. On day three our chatty Gus called back to his name. He was only meters away. For three days he responded to our calls, then there was silence. Despite searching neighbouring yards across those three days, we could not find him. Our suspicions about having been in a nearby house were confirmed by an observation of a thoughtful neighbour and we sadly concluded he had been stolen.It seemed a letter box campaign across several public places, suburbs and far -lung properties linked to the alleged thief. It seemed nothing would come of our searching, social media posts, posters and letter box drops. We had a hint that Gus may still be alive after 5 months.A teacher of our son thought she’d seen a cat like Gus loitering near the local primary school on an evening in late summer as she locked up the venue she uses to run a dance school. This teacher, who works closely with our son, presumed out the cat was a very friendly pet. The cat approached her for several evenings in succession, but she remained unsure if this was Gus. Eventually the cat allowed her to pick him up but the sight of a nearby fox spooked him and he fled, leaving her with a hand would that required medical attention. Over the following weeks her dance students would call out to let her know the ‘killer cat’ was waiting for her outside the venue.We had no confirmation it was Gus and presumed it to be a false sighting of his neighbourhood lookalike. For 7 months we presumed we'd never see Gus again. On an autumn evening, two months after our son’s teacher had first seen Gus, I received a crackly voice mail. All I could make out was cat, microchip, scanned, Gus. I have your cat.I could hear his familiar call in the background. With ID in-hand I rushed to the address to find Gus waiting in a cat carrier. He was sitting up in the cat carrier overlooking the front gate of my son’s school. He was safe! The woman who befriended him two days earlier had heard his calls and worked out he was, indeed, someone’s pet. Gus had been looking for help for nearly two months. All it took was a sprinkle of dried cat food and he’d climbed into the open carrier.Gus chatted to me all the way home. He knew he was going home. Once safely inside my son talked to Gus and told he could come out. Upon confidently leaving the open carrier he approached each family member, one by one with a smooch and a purr. He is still obviously traumatised by his experience, but little by little he’s becoming familiar with home again.Without a microchip this would have not been possible. Without changing Gus' registration to CAR this would not have happened.

- Bronwyn

Dog Snatchers

When I travel overseas, Morticia stays with my dad. While on a walk, a group of youths approached them and snatched Morticia. They pushed my dad over, then unclipped Morticia's collar, put her in their car and drove off. Fortunately, a good Samaritan picked her up when the group dumped Morticia later that night. The RSPCA checked her chip details to facilitate a family reunion. In the end, everyone is well, just a bit shook up for the experience.

- Anna

Trust Your Instincts & Do Not Give Up Hope

Before heading off on a family holiday to Bali, I reluctantly left my two beloved fur babies, Coco and Loui, at a cattery in Langford. Since my usual cattery was fully booked, I had to try a new one. The lady running it seemed kind and reassuring, which gave me some peace of mind. Three days into my trip, I received a phone call from the cattery informing me that Coco had "escaped." I was stunned and confused - how does a cat manage to escape from a cattery? Apparently, it was through the roof. The lady assured me she was doing everything in her power to find Coco, and I trusted her.

Two days passed with no sign of Coco. I had a uneasy feeling, so I sent my son to pick up Loui. While there, he asked the lady whether she'd reached out to the neighbours for any information, and to our shock, she admitted she hadn’t. She had done nothing to find Coco. It was devastating - those initial days were critical - and she'd lied to me about her efforts. Upon returning home, I went straight to the area near the cattery. Behind it were a park, a school and a church, and for some reason, I felt drawn to them. Every weekend, I'd go to that spot, bringing Coco’s favourite treats and calling out for him, but there was no sign of him.

Two months later, I wasn’t planning to search that evening, but a friend convinced me to go have a look. I walked through the park, scanned the surroundings, and still, no Coco. Slowly making my way through the car park, I decided to head back. As we were leaving to go home & exiting the driveway, a black cat darted across the road into some bushes on a property nearby. I jumped out of the car and called Coco’s name. I remembered I had some cat biscuits in my car, so I ran to get them. Tossing biscuits toward the bushes and calling his name, I heard a meow in response each time I called. Gradually, the cat emerged to eat - he was starving. Slowly, I managed to grab him and get him into my car. Was this Coco? My heart told me it was, he certainly looked like him and responded to his name, but I needed to be certain. I drove him to a 24-hour vet clinic, and they confirmed it—it was Coco!

Never give up, people kept telling me that I wouldn’t find him there, that he was long gone from that area but, I’m not sure what it was, I just kept going back.

Trust your instincts, Coco was missing for 8 weeks but I never gave up hope. He is now happy & safe at home & getting very spoilt with lots of tummy rubs. Life is good again 😊

- C.A.R. Pet Owner

Finding Nedo

It was a rainy afternoon in winter of 2017. Nedo, Luka and Abby were outside on the patio relaxing. Out of the blue there was a crack of thunder, Luka and Abby ran inside, but Nedo bolted and jumped the fence.

I door knocked the area, checked parks, had leaflets dropped in all surrounding suburbs, called vets and shelters, put notices in school newsletters offering a new ipad as incentive for the kids to keep an eye out. I made sure her microchip details were up to date and listed her as missing, but nothing. Weeks turned to months, and then years and then hope faded. I resigned myself that I may not see her again. Nedo was eleven when she went missing.

Then on another rainy afternoon, in 2024, 7 years later, the phone rang. It was a veterinary clinic calling to say they had found my cat Nedo! I was quite shocked, I couldn’t believe it as Nedo had been gone for so long and would be so old now.

Full of excitement I grabbed the carrier and drove to the clinic. When I arrived, the nurse led me through the clinic. There sitting quietly in a kennel was a very familiar but older cat that lifted her head to stare back at me. She was a little worse for wear, but she had survived all these years! Lost but not forgotten.

And through a tiny chip embedded in her neck, she was finally brought home. A thread of hope that was never broken.

- Bana

Back Where She Belongs

Buffy was taken from us nearly 18 months ago. Our family was devastated. My youngest daughter lost her best mate. She turned up at the pound a year and a half later, not in the best condition and after having a very recent litter of pups (despite not being meant for breeding due to a hole in her heart). Thanks to being microchipped we were called and reunited with Buffy. It was obviously a surprise and a shock to see her the way she was. But as soon as we saw her we knew she was coming home and as soon as she was with our youngest daughter again, it was like they'd never been apart. She is still the most loving and gentle dog that we remember her to be.

- Natalie

Trapped

After our gorgeous male ragdoll Zahzu wandered off on the 2nd Jan 2025, we became worried when he didn't come home for his comfy bed and food that night......devastated by weeks of searching and km's of walking, my husband caught a snake in our driveway and at that point we accepted defeat and assumed this snake or another had been the murderer of our beautiful boy!

Another 10 days later, our neighbors had jumped a fence a headed to an old rarely used shed of theirs for photos prior to a Luke Coombs concert in their boots and cowgirl hats. Zahzu must have recognized their voices and immediately began meowing!!!! 37 days and nights he was trapped in the shed! On hearing this news by phone, I immediately began ugly crying in my local shopping centre and couldn't get home quick enough!!!!

- Leanne

Rollie Turned Up

Rollie went missing about 3 months ago. We live in a rural area and thought that maybe a snake bit him. Today I received a call from our local vet and they had had him bought in with another snake bite by a man that lives down the road from us.

He had been feeding Rollie for a few months and thought he was a friendly stray. He found Rollie laying on his back step and rushed him to the vet where they scanned him for a microchip and found his details registered to me. Just goes to show that you should ALWAYS GET AN ANIMAL SCANNED FOR A MICROCHIP, because it could just be someone's much loved pet.

- Kirsten

Missing Two Years

Three weeks ago I was playing with my dog when I got a call, didn't recognised the number and was speechless when they told me that our three legged cat Bertie had been handed in to the Monbulk Vet they had checked his microc(ip and rang me. I could not hold my tears as you see my little baby had been missing for nearly two years! I live in Wantirna and when driving up Burwood Highway I would see the Dandenong mountains and think my poor little Bertie would be so cold, We lost him in Monbulk when we went on holiday and he was left in my daughter’s care but he was an escape artist and pushed out her laundry window and was off! Despite letter drops, going out every night for weeks and following all the advice that many lovely people gave me when no sight of him i gradually realised that he may never come home. I was very upset when a young man who had seen one of the posters rang me and told me that he had killed him! I’m sure if the young man’s mother would be ashamed if she knew . Imagine my surprise when we picked him up from the wonderful vets at Monbulk and a big thank you to Carol and Rick from Moores Rd who after many weeks of feeding him and getting him not to be afraid finally got him into a cage! My poor husband who is terminally ill was so overcome with emotion especially when Bertie snuggled up to him and sat on his lap! Within two days he was friends again with our rescue cat Bluey and once again when my husband reads the paper Bertie will draped himself over the paper to get attention. It’s like he has never been gone ! Miracles do happen so, how could he have survived two very cold mountain winters and with only three legs? So if you have lost one of your fur babies never ever give up hope.

- C.A.R. Pet Owner

Ginger | A Miracle in Disguise

The day Ginger disappeared was one of the hardest days of my life. Ginger and I used to go out on walks all the time. He loved exploring the world, tail high and ears alert, as though every blade of grass and every passing breeze held a secret just for him. That day, we were at a park in Burwood, a usual haunt for us. He was darting around, sniffing at bushes and rolling in patches of sunlight. I turned my head for just a moment, and when I looked back, he was gone. Panic set in almost immediately. I called his name, my voice echoing through the park, but there was no sign of him.

The first day was awful. I spent all night crying, imagining the worst—was he hurt? Hungry? Scared? It felt like a piece of me was missing. My family, bless their hearts, rallied around me. We printed posters and plastered them on poles and shop windows, each one a plea for help. Determined to find him, I turned to Facebook, asking local groups if anyone had seen my beloved cat. As I scoured social media, something unexpected happened. I came across countless posts from people who couldn’t home their cats—kittens abandoned, mothers left behind. My heart ached not just for Ginger but for all these animals in need. I reached out to one lovely woman who introduced me to a mother cat and her three gorgeous kittens. They needed a home, and I needed something to pour my love into.

Nursing them back to health was a healing process for me. Each purr, each playful swat of a tiny paw, slowly began to mend my broken heart. Then, another unexpected blessing came my way. A man who was travelling overseas could no longer care for his cat, Nobi. He reached out to me, and when I saw Nobi for the first time, I gasped. He looked exactly like Ginger—same fur, same build, even the same distinct birthmark, though on the opposite side of his face. It felt like fate. Nobi had his quirks, though. He was deeply traumatised from his previous home, where dogs had frightened him terribly.

It took time, patience, and love to help him acclimate, but eventually, he blossomed into a sweet and cuddly companion. One night, as I was sleeping on the couch with Nobi curled beside me, something extraordinary happened. The lights outside flickered, casting shadows on the walls. My heart raced—I thought it might be an intruder. I got up and cautiously looked out the window, and then I heard it. A familiar sound, one I hadn’t heard in a month but would recognise anywhere. It was a soft, desperate meow. I rushed to the door and threw it open, and there he was. Ginger. I could hardly believe my eyes.

Tears blurred my vision as I scooped him up, his fur dusty and his paws worn but unmistakably my Ginger. It was 2 a.m., but I didn’t care. I woke my entire family. My sister cried as she hugged him, and my parents beamed with relief. That night, Ginger was showered with endless treats and cuddles. He was finally home, and our family felt whole again. The experience changed me in ways I hadn’t expected. Ginger’s disappearance taught me about faith and resilience—not just in him, but in myself. For all the cat owners out there, let this be a reminder: never lose hope. Ginger was missing for a whole month, but his intelligence and determination brought him back to us. And while I wouldn’t wish the heartbreak of losing a pet on anyone, the journey brought new blessings into my life: the kittens, Nobi, and a deeper understanding of how love can heal. Ginger’s return was the happiest ending I could have dreamed of, but it was also a new beginning. Now, our home is fuller than ever, with the patter of little paws, the gentle hum of purrs, and the unshakable bond of a family that never gave up.

For all those out there who may have lost a pet- don’t give up hope. Let’s are extremely intelligent and no matter what- they will always come back to you.

- Mia

Never Give Up On Them!

Frankie is an older cat, she doesn't stray far from home these days. She went missing over a long weekend while we were away. We weren't sure if she might have just felt it was her time, or if perhaps she'd wandered a bit far, and couldn't find her way home. After she'd been gone a week we decided to do a local letter box drop with a missing poster. The new owners of our old house, we had only moved a few streets away, messaged to say they thought they might have seen her. We went over to her old neighbourhood after sunset to call her and she came right out to greet us from an old neighbours yard! 10 days missing but unharmed and happy to be home

- Katrina

Zimi’s Break Free

After 6 days of being lost in the bush through all sorts of weather events, 40+ degree heat and storms Zimi was found less than 2km from our home, unfortunately her back leg was trapped for what we think was the whole time she was missing, but she is such a strong girl and was able to fight to get herself out and find some lovely people who got her to safety at a nearby vet who scanned her microchip and immediately contacted me. We were then able to pick Zimi up within the hour and bring her back home to familiarity.Unfortunately through Zimis struggles to break free she had worn through her ankle and will need her leg to be amputated 🥺She is understandably dehydrated, extremely lean and exhausted, but other than this she is absolutely fine and in good spirits.This is a best case scenario, we have our girl back and she is a fit, healthy, young dog who is going to do just fine with 3 legs.Thankyou everyone who shared our posts and kept an eye out for Zimi, we couldn’t be more appreciative and grateful that she is safe 🤍🤍

- Lana

Whisper's Story

Whisper went missing after getting out one May afternoon, we went to gaws to look for her, put her missing on our local Facebook page but nothing, scaled the local streets ,and nothing.

We gave up hope of ever getting her back. Then yesterday we go a call that she's been found more that 10 km away from home at an international school,we quickly went to get her and she's home safe adjusting really well.

- Linda