Dog who went missing in North Carolina found in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA -- A month to the day after a dog went missing in High Point, North Carolina, he mysteriously appeared in Pennsylvania.
Happy, healthy and far from home, 3.5-year-old Max's discovery is the making of a Christmas miracle.
So how did Max end up so far from home?
It turns out after the dog first went missing, a woman in North Carolina found him. After a scan of Max's microchip did not provide any information, she kept the dog.
She then took a trip to Delaware County, Pennsylvania and brought Max along.
Then, for a second time, Max fled.
Delaware County animal control officer Lisa Stewart says kids found him in Chester and brought him to Eddystone police.
This time a microchip scan revealed his identity.
Now, he's recovering from his journey at Philadelphia Animal Hospital.
Max's journey spanned four states over a month's time.
His owner, Traci Harrison told ABC11's sister station WPVI that she and her daughter Emily didn't believe the call from animal control.
"I thought there's no way. My dog is missing here in North Carolina, but he said we have your dog," Harrison said.
But then they sent her a picture and she knew.
"Without a doubt that's Max, he's my buddy, he sleeps on my bed every night," Harrison said.
Normally, it would take a week to get him home, but Max's owner wants him back for Christmas.
He'll be on a flight to North Carolina Friday.
"No, I want him home. This is the best Christmas, I don't know words to describe it," Harrison said. "I got a Christmas bonus, it's going right back out the door to pay to get Max home, to pay for the vet bill, and to pay to have him boarded tonight, but I don't care."
On the day Max went missing, Traci's dad was given three days to live.
On the same day she learned her dog was returning home, she learned good news about her father's health - he's on his way to a recovery.
