SAN DIEGO, June 17 (UPI) -- Family members in Cardiff, Calif., have welcomed home their female boxer, who had been missing since 2002.
The San Diego Star-Tribune reported that workers at the local animal shelter found a microchip under the dog's fur which traced the dog, Alex, back to her original owners.
"Alex went straight from the shelter to the vet and then to get a bath," said Lisa Najjar, who owns the dog with her teenage daughters. "We are just really, really happy. She looks good. She looks healthy. She's in good condition, and we're thrilled to have her back."
Alex, who went missing in March 2002 from the family's fenced backyard, was living with Mission Hills resident Justin Howe, the Star-Tribune said. Howe reportedly had taken the dog to the shelter after being told by his landlord that he couldn't keep her.
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