Kidnapped puppy from Galway turns up one year later in Dublin (VIDEO)

After Bruno was taken from outside Frank Lee’s Galway home in May 2014, he didn’t expect to ever seen his dog again.

Along with family and friends, Lee put out appeals and searched the local area, but the young pup seems to have completely vanished.

However, earlier this month he received a phone call from the other side of the country – Bruno had, miraculously, turned up in a Dublin shelter, and Lee has revealed the full details of how the pair were reunited.

“I got a phone call from Ballyfermot. They read out Bruno’s microchip number, and I was able to confirm it was him,” Lee told a radio show on Today FM.

It’s believed that Bruno – who was less than a year old at the time – was taken for breeding in Dublin. Eventually he escaped and hopped into a family’s car in Lucan, refusing to leave.

In a video posted on the Dublin SPCA Facebook page (below), it looks like Bruno was a little happy to see Lee again.

“He was in bad old state, mistreated and that. His coat was all matted, he had lost an awful lot of weight,” Lee said.

The pooch has settled in once again – although spent a few days “staring into space.”

Lee has emphasized the importance of having pets microchipped, as without that information he would never have been reunited with Bruno. Microchipping will be compulsory from next year.

What a fantastic moment for Bruno and family.Yesterday we had the chance to reunite little Bruno the Yorkshire terrier with his family after he was stolen almost one year ago. Bruno was taken from Tuam in Co Galway last spring, his family never heard anything more until they received a phone call from us here at the DSPCA on Monday to say that we had him. Bruno was underweight and his coat was badly matted but he should make a full recovery in time. It is clear that the chances of us finding Bruno’s owner after such a long time would have been very difficult if he had not been microchipped, not to mention the fact he originally came from the other side of the country! Next year 2016 it will become compulsory by law for all dogs to be microchipped in the Rep of Ireland, a move that is extremely welcomed by the DSPCA. If you want to get your pet microchipped email [email protected] for more information.

Posted by Dublin SPCA on Friday, 13 March 2015