- March 5, 2025
Perhaps humans are not the only vacationers flocking to Florida this summer.
An unattended Michigan dog was found making its way through Palm Coast last week. The 3-year-old Doberman, Gigi, was wandering up and down Florida Park Drive last Wednesday, said Diane Voigt, president of the Board of Directors for the Flagler Humane Society.
A man later found Gigi and took her to the shelter, where she was scanned for a microchip. To everyone’s surprise, the chip showed that the dog belonged to a family in Clinton Township, Mich.
Voigt said that the shelter contacted the owners, Larry and Peggy Leason and their son, Max, who confirmed that they were missing their dog. Gigi had disappeared from their yard about a week before she was found in Palm Coast.
“We sent (Leason) a photo of the dog,” Voigt said. “He has absolutely no idea how she ended up in Florida.”
Voigt said that after hearing that the shelter had Gigi, the Leasons made a 20-hour nonstop voyage to Palm Coast last Friday to retrieve their lost pet. Once Gigi and her owners were reunited, emotions ran wild.
“Everyone was in tears,” Voigt said. “It was so obvious that she was their dog.”
The manner in which Gigi wound up in Florida remains a mystery. Voigt said that she believes someone took her, but she is not sure if she ran away first and then was taken.
Gigi was found healthy and playful, and is now in the care of her family. The Leasons have since arrived safely back to their Michigan home with their beloved canine.
Max Leason said that his dog is happily lounging at home, and they are grateful to have her back.
“We were pretty shocked to find that our dog was more than a few streets away,” he said. “Ultimately, we were just really thrilled that the chip was able to find our dog.”
Peggy Leason said she was happy that she had decided to have a chip placed in Gigi, and that it gave them hope and results.
“I probably would have searched (for Gigi) for years,” she said.
Voigt also credits Gigi’s return to her microchip. “If it had not been for the microchip we would have never been able to reunite them,” she said. “She was found safe and sound.”
Microchips
Giving pets microchips has proven to produce various benefits, such as finding lost pets in distant locations or handling medical emergencies. According to the Flagler Humane Society’s website, microchipping is “an identifying implant placed under your pet’s skin by a veterinarian or other qualified staff member, and is no more painful than a routine vaccination.”
Humane Society events
The Flagler Humane Society offers a “low-cost shots and microchip clinic” on the first Saturday of every month between 1 and 3 p.m. Voigt said that owners are encouraged to microchip their pets. The cost is $25.
The shelter will also allow cat lovers to adopt adult cats for a discounted price of $10 in recognition of “National Adopt-a-Cat Month.”
The society will host “Yappy Hour at Snack Jack” at Flagler Beach on June 25, where Voigt said that owners are encouraged to “bring their beer and their dogs.”
