Nebraska dog found in Indiana is reunited with family after 5 years
Chong vanished from Lincoln in 2021 and turned up 642 miles away at an Indiana truck stop, setting up a long-awaited reunion.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
A Nebraska dog found in Indiana after five years away from home is back with his Lincoln family after being spotted near a truck stop about 642 miles from where he vanished, UPI reported.
The dog, Chong, escaped from the home of Inmaculada Jackman in 2021, according to Jackman and reporting by KOLN-TV. Jackman said her family kept searching long after he disappeared, returning to their old neighborhood to look for signs of him.
Jackman told KOLN-TV that she still watched for Chong and drove around the area hoping to see whether someone was walking him or whether he was loose nearby.
How was the Nebraska dog found in Indiana?
The break came when a friend sent Jackman a Facebook post from the Hendricks County Animal Shelter in Indiana, according to UPI. The shelter had posted about a dog found outside the Loves Truckstop in Pittsboro.
That location put Chong hundreds of miles from Lincoln, with no clear trail explaining how he got there. Jackman contacted the shelter after seeing the post, but getting him home was not immediate.
Jackman wrote on Facebook that Chong had been microchipped to someone else in Lincoln at some point after he escaped. Because of that, she said, the shelter had to follow its protocol before releasing him.
According to Jackman's Facebook post, the shelter tried to reach the phone numbers attached to the chip and did not receive a response during the three-day waiting period. After that required hold, Chong was made available for adoption.
A microchip is a small identification device placed under a pet's skin that can be scanned by shelters or veterinarians. It is meant to link a lost animal to contact information, but outdated or disputed records can slow a reunion while shelters follow required procedures.
Chong’s brother joined the road trip
Once Chong became available, Jackman drove to Indiana to bring him home, according to UPI. She brought along Chong's brother, Cheech, for the trip.
The Hendricks County Animal Shelter wrote on Facebook that Chong recognized both his owner and his brother. The shelter also said he had a home waiting for him with people eager for his return.
UPI reported that the details of Chong's missing years are still unknown. The account does not say where he had been living, how he reached Indiana or who had him after he left home in 2021.
For Jackman, the main fact is the ending: Chong is home after a search that stretched across five years. She told KOLN-TV the lesson for other pet owners is to keep hoping, saying five years passed before her family found him.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.