Lost dog found in abandoned Detroit house reunited with owner after 10 months

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Meet Leo - he had been missing for a long time - but now this little French bulldog is one step closer to home.

"Our call center received a call of concern for a dog at a vacant house over on the east side of Detroit," said Melanie Fulkerson.

Fulkerson is a District 4 investigator with Detroit Animal Care and Control. She went to investigate.

"The house had plexiglas all over the windows - over all the doors, I was able to confirm what looked to be a chocolate merle French bulldog inside the house," she said.

The inside of the home was down to the studs. Two bowls were inside but looked to be empty. The house had been privately purchased in the last 12 months - so Detroit Animal Care and Control got a search warrant and rescued the dog.

"Immediately he jumped into my arms - we got him out to the truck - scanned him for a microchip and the microchip popped up," she said.

And that's when they called Leo's owner.

"She cried - she did a lot of crying on the phone," Fulkerson said. "She had no idea she'd ever see her dog again."

"It was unreal," said Donna McRae.

It turns out the owner lived in Ann Arbor - but now lives in Arizona. Leo went missing from a relative's home a year ago in Dearborn.

"He went after a cat - saw a cat - darted out - and there was an extensive search for him - all the neighbors were very involved," said McRae. "We had it all over social media - everyone was on the hunt for Leo."

Donna McRae and her daughter, Laila can't wait to see Leo again, but for now her sister will be caring for him.

"She called me yesterday - she's like - you won't believe this - they found my dog in an abandoned home in Detroit," said Leslie Dottery. "I couldn't believe it.

"She actually thought that he was gone forever that someone had probably taken him in as a family pet or something like that, and she'd never see him again."

We may never know where he's been or who he was with - but we do know a simple microchip is reuniting him with his family.

"Microchip your pets - it is imperative - cats, dogs, whatever you have," Fulkerson said. "Make sure that they are microchipped."

Investigators say make sure the microchip is registered and keep the information updated  - it really works.

"We've already returned to owners several dogs today alone just via a microchip," Fulkerson said.

And there is a free vaccination and microchip clinic on Labor Day Monday from noon until 3 p.m. for Detroit residents. It is at Animal Clinic East, 13910 Eight Mile, Detroit, 48205.

It is available to all Detroit owner residents with dogs six months and older.