Life With Dogs: Deceased Man’s Beloved Beagle Is Found 500 Miles Away After 538 Days

A Beagle named Chipper has had quite the adventure. He came from a neglectful home, got adopted by the perfect human, but then tragically lost his owner. Then, when he found a new place to call home, he got lost shortly after. Chipper’s family searched for a year and a half to find him, but they were unsuccessful.

Then, as if it were a miracle, Chipper finally turned up hundreds of miles away. Now, he’s hoping his life will be a little less crazy so he can soak up endless love from his humans.

A Perfect Life Gets Cut Short

Chipper was rescued by Triangle Beagle Rescue in North Carolina after being tied to a tree for most of his life. It didn’t take long for Jason Blue to see the puppy and fall in love. They seemed like the perfect match, but their time together was much shorter than anyone could’ve anticipated.

Jason passed away unexpectedly in February 2020. His mom, Suzie Blue, adored Chipper, but she was unable to adopt him.

Beagle with owner who passed away — screenshot, cbs17.com

“I remember exactly where I was standing when I got that phone call and tears streaming down my face,” said Brandi Cozart, who fostered Chipper. “We become such good friends with our adopters because we share that bond over loving the same piece of family.”

So, Chipper went back up for adoption. Once again, the adorable dog was scooped up in no time. Amani Qassem adopted Chipper, and she promised to update Suzie on the pup’s adventures. Everything was going well until Qassem moved to Georgia. Chipper got confused and ran away. Everyone feared that they’d never see the little Beagle again.

The Long Journey Home

Triangle Beagle Rescue and their humane trapping team helped Qassem search for the missing dog. They even hired tracking dogs, but nothing seemed to work. As months went by, Qassem and Suzie thought they’d never see Chipper again.

Then, 538 days after Chipper went missing, Qassem got an email from the microchip company. Pinellas County Animal Shelter in Clearwater, Florida, had scanned his microchip and alerted them. Qassem couldn’t believe it! The shelter was over 500 miles away from Qassem, but Suzie, who lives in Florida, offered to drive a few hours to pick him up.

“I just feel like all that was orchestrated by my son,” Suzie said. “He wanted him to be home and happy.”

Suzie looked after Chipper until Qassem was able to drive down and get him. It seems like Chipper was cared for by someone during his time away, but it’s unclear how he ended up in a Florida shelter. If this pup could talk, he’d have plenty of stories to share. But for now, he’ll just enjoy all the love and cuddles from the humans he missed.