Microchipped Dog Roaming Streets Reunited With Elderly Owner

On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 4:37 am, Turlock Police responded to an animal at large in the 1500 block of W Tuolumne Rd.

The caller had found a friendly dog, later identified as Chloe, roaming the streets about an hour prior. The Good Samaritan picked up and transported Chloe to Taylor Veterinary Emergency, which found that she was microchipped and provided her identifier. Through the microchip identifier, Turlock Police were then able to identify Chloe’s owner; however, she wouldn’t answer the phone.

After clearing a separate call for service, the caller met with Officer Rocha and transferred Chloe to him. Officer Rocha then transported Chloe to her owner’s address with the Good Samaritan and reunited them. Chloe’s elderly owner was very appreciative and thanked both Officer Rocha and the Good Samaritan. She stated that she must have fallen asleep and forgotten to let Chloe back in from her backyard the prior night.

This story serves as a good reminder to license and microchip your pet with the Animal Services Unit. Shelter staff can implant a microchip into your pet for $20 anytime during normal business hours, Monday through Saturday, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

A microchip is a device about the size of a grain of rice. It uses RFID technology and contains a unique identifier that can be read by a handheld scanner. It doesn’t contain any moving parts or a power source and remains inactive until powered by a scanner. A microchip is injected with the use of a syringe into the stuff area below the pet’s neck and between the shoulder blades.