
When a dog goes missing, the owner usually searches the neighborhood, nearby shelters, and neighboring towns. Rio's owner could hardly imagine having to search for him nearly 1,000 miles — roughly 1,600 kilometers — from home.
Rio disappeared from the Sand Springs area of Oklahoma in late July. The family launched a search, but there was no sign of him.
Then, in mid-August, the dog ended up at an animal shelter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The staff did what they do with found animals: they checked for a microchip.
The result surprised them.
The registered owner lived in Oklahoma, more than 1,000 miles away. The shelter contacted the owner, who confirmed that Rio was her lost dog. She took the first flight she could to Greensboro.
A few days later the reunion took place.

The big mystery remains unanswered: how did Rio get from Oklahoma to North Carolina?
The shelter said the dog tended to run away when scared, but the distance is so great that it is unknown whether it walked the entire way on its own or if it was carried by someone during the journey.
One thing is known: a tiny microchip under the skin was the reason a dog found 1,600 kilometers away was identified and returned home.