Philadelphia Family Reunited with Dog Stolen Over 10 Years Ago

Forty-Cal the dog was found as a senior stray and returned to his original owners using his microchip information.

Mar. 25, 2026 at 3:06am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A Philadelphia family has been reunited with their dog, Forty-Cal, who was stolen from their backyard in 2015. The dog was found as a senior stray by an animal shelter on Saturday night and returned to the family using his up-to-date microchip information. The family, who had moved out of the Philadelphia area, never gave up hope of finding Forty-Cal and kept his lost pet report active over the years.

Why it matters

This heartwarming story highlights the importance of microchipping pets and keeping contact information current, as it allowed this family to be reunited with their beloved dog after over a decade. It also demonstrates the resilience and dedication of pet owners who refuse to give up searching for their lost furry family members.

The details

Forty-Cal, the family's dog, was stolen from their backyard in Philadelphia in 2015. The animal shelter in Philadelphia found the senior dog as a stray on Saturday night and were able to contact the family using the microchip information, which had remained up-to-date even after the family moved out of the area. The family was overjoyed to be reunited with Forty-Cal after all these years.

  • Forty-Cal was stolen from the family's backyard in Philadelphia in 2015.
  • The animal shelter found Forty-Cal as a senior stray on Saturday night (March 22, 2026).

The players

Forty-Cal

The family's dog who was stolen from their backyard in Philadelphia in 2015.

Jourdyn

A member of the Philadelphia family who was reunited with their dog Forty-Cal.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I can't believe, after years, that he was brought back to us. He's very old, so he's going to go home and live his best life for the rest of the time that we have with him.”

— Jourdyn

The takeaway

This heartwarming reunion story underscores the importance of microchipping pets and keeping contact information current, as it allowed this family to be reunited with their beloved dog after over a decade. It also demonstrates the resilience and dedication of pet owners who refuse to give up searching for their lost furry family members.