Mikey and Matthew's Separation

Mikey was separated from Matthew Strong after he and his wife divorced. His ex-wife kept Mikey until she moved and her landlord would not allow dogs, Strong explained.

"She told me she was taking him to a shelter," he said.

By this time, Strong had relocated to Sacramento and lived in a complex that did not allow pets. Matthew did not want Mikey to go to the pound and contacted his friends to see if someone could take Mikey in, but had no luck. Matthew explains, "I was new to the area I couldn't afford to move somewhere dog friendly and have a good home for Mikey. It was really tough because there is nothing I could do, I really loved him and well, he adopted me, he was my friend.

Over the past 18 months Matthew's been worried and concerned about Mikey's fate. He has often thought about Mikey ... remembering that he didn't want a dog at first, but how after his wife brought the puppy home, he became more and more attached to the dog. Soon, he and Mikey were best buddies.

During their time apart, Matthew acquired a good job and moved to a better location. Now having access to everything he would have needed for Mikey. Every day he would think of Mikey; wondering where he was and wishing that they were back together again. He would look in his backyard or go somewhere and say to himself "Mikey would have really loved this." His friends would tell "Mikey" stories and share their thoughts on what Mikey would have done in a particular situation. On many occasions, Matthew found himself looking at old photos of Mikey and remembering what a good canine companion he was. He says, "I felt so bad about the situation he was put in and I thought I'd never see him again, get to hug him again, have him crawl to the bottom of my sleeping bag and curl up."

“I thought I’d never see Mikey again.”

The Google Search

18 Months later, when he was having trouble sleeping, Strong began surfing the Internet and found himself at Google.

Strong worried that Mikey was possibly no longer at the shelter. He sent an email to the organization where Mikey’s photo was posted. Connie Nowlin of the Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation contacted Strong and Mikey’s identity was confirmed. Mikey had been at the shelter for 18 months.

"Mikey was so lucky. WARF took really good care of him," he said. "They had a kiddy pool with rocks for him to play with, volunteers that would take him on long walks, and people would bring him home to play."

Reunited At Last

A few days later, Matthew made the two hour journey to the Placer County Animal Shelter in Tahoe City where Mikey was housed. Mikey recognized him right away and was ready to go home. Before leaving the shelter, Mikey demonstrated to the WARF volunteers some hidden tricks Matthew taught him during their earlier years together.

Samantha Loudon, one of the co-directors of Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation, said the reunion must have been meant to be.

"He had been adopted two weeks ago, but was brought back because one of the roommates wasn't comfortable with him," she said.

Matthew and many of his friends at work have donated to WARF, in appreciation of the good care they gave to Mikey.

Photo: (clockwise) Mikey, Rick and Isaiah jumping on the trampoline.

“Mikey has always been my best buddy and now he’s home ... back where he belongs. We have a lot of catching up to do and I’m looking forward to it. I’m so thankful for WARF and all the volunteers who helped bring Mikey home, they have given us a very merry Christmas.” Photo: Mikey

Matthew's Message to Others

"Many More Animals Need Your Help"

"You can help, YOU can make a difference. When you take an animal in from a shelter, you make a difference in that animal's life. You bring that animal a brighter and better future. When you make a donation to organizations, like WARF and other rescues, you make the difference in all the animals lives. Mikey and myself encourage you to take part in making that miracle happen for all his friends."