Jeremy Huff was looking forward to years of companionship when he got his Siberian Husky puppy, which he named Koda.
"We got him when he was six weeks old, " Huff said. "I had Koda about a year and a couple of months before he went missing in 2010."
The Mississippi man searched around his community for Koda with no luck. Eventually, he gave up looking for him.
"We didn't think we'd get him back," Huff said.
That all changed earlier this month when Huff was contacted by Young-Williams Animal Center with the stunning news that they had Koda in their care.
"I can't express enough gratitude for what they've done," said Huff, who is driving up to Knoxville to reclaim his pet.
How Koda came from Mississippi to Knoxville is anyone's guess. The animal was brought in as a stray.
"When all of our animals come in, we scan them first for a microchip," said Dr. Jen Armstrong, who treated Koda at the center. "They did find one microchip and called and confirmed the owner surrender on that. When he came through for his medical exam, we thought he was a little painful on his back so we wanted to take x-rays of him. We found a second microchip in him. It had migrated down low on his arm."
A scan on the second microchip traced the dog back to Huff, who was shocked to learn the dog had been found.
"It had been many years since Koda has been a part of his life, so he was very excited to hear from us," said Armstrong.
It's been nearly 7 years since Huff has seen his now 9-year-old dog, and a lot has changed. Huff was single when Koda was a puppy. He's now married and his wife is coming up for the reunion.
"We went shopping earlier in the week, got him some fresh dog bowls, bones, treats and a few toys to play with on the ride home," said Huff. "We're really excited, we're glad to have him home."
Huff is very thankful for the detective work done by the staff at Young-Williams. Both parties agree that Koda's story is proof that microchipping animals works.
"It is the best way to identify your dog because all shelters and veterinary clinics have scanners and can scan them as long as you keep your information up to date, then the original owners can be contacted," Armstrong said.
For the staff at Young-Williams, the reunion is going to be memorable.
"It is an amazing feeling, it really is, to see people that are reunited with their animals after many years," Armstrong said. "What a crazy story. I mean, to start out in Mississippi and end up here in Knoxville. I mean, who knows what's happened in all those years? I can't wait to see the reunion, I'm not going to miss it for anything.
Koda was treated for heartworm through Young Williams' Animal Compassion Fund. If you'd like to donate to the fund visit young-williams.org.