Tenn. dog missing for 3 months turns up in Mich.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Jim Arrighi last saw Petey, his 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier, in the backyard of his Erin, Tenn., home.

That was in July, and the 73-year-old retired electrician had nearly given up on seeing his pet again when he learned the dog turned up safe about 500 miles away in suburban Detroit.

A Michigan Humane Society volunteer was expected to return Petey to Arrighi Thursday morning.

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"This is just a little town and everybody is buzzing about it," said Arrighi's daughter, Tyanne Morrison.

Most of Erin's roughly 7,000 residents know one another, and many of them would recognize Petey, which is why Arrighi, Morrison and their friends suspect he was pooch-napped by an out-of-towner.

Morrison believes Petey left his yard "and somebody picked him up."

"We searched. We knew someone had gotten him," she told the Associated Press by phone on Wednesday. "We got on 4-wheelers and went all over the area. There had been some more dogs over the last few months that were missing."

While struggling with the loss of his dog, Arrighi also lost his wife, Juanita, who suffered from pulmonary disease and died Oct. 12.

"Since my mother passed away, even I told him "why don't we go to the pound to give a home to a puppy that don't have a home,'" Morrison said.

Last week, a homeowner in Rochester Hills, about 20 miles north of Detroit, saw Petey in his backyard and took him to a Humane Society animal care center.

As it does with every recovered dog and cat, the Michigan Humane Society scanned Petey for an implanted microchip, which led the organization to its owner, spokesman Kevin Hatman said.

Arrighi, who has been staying at Morrison's home since his wife died, was thrilled to receive the call, she said.

"He thinks my mother, who is in heaven, sent the dog back to him," Morrison said.

She said their local veterinarian likely recommended Petey get a microchip.

"It was only about $70 total," Morrison said. "Now, a lot of people are inquiring about it."

The Michigan Humane Society recommends all pet dogs and cats get microchips implanted, in addition to making sure they have collars and identification tags.

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