SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego woman has been reunited with her four-legged soulmate after he was stolen and sold on Craigslist.
Kameroun Mares bought her dog Semper Fidelis after her battle with leukemia.
“Yes, it’s the Marine Corps motto, but in Latin, it translates to 'Always Faithful,'" said Mares. “He is always faithful to me.”
After a few years together the two moved to Florida for what Mares thought would be a fresh start.
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However, it turned out to be the start of a nightmare. While on a trip back to California for a medical appointment her roommate said Semper had run away.
“I had so many nightmares of what, where is he? Why did I not get a phone call? He has a microchip, why did I not get a call?"
Her desperate search turned no leads, and eventually, she moved back to California, continuing the search digitally.
A year later, someone in a forum suggested checking Semper’s microchip on the American Animal Hospital Association microchip database.
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It showed the microchip as being registered to both Mares and a second owner.
Mares' ex-roommate sold Semper on Craigslist for $200.
The people who bought him were able to register the microchip with a different company, Pet Key.
“What’s the point of having a microchip if another company can add its details without checking with you?" Mares said.
Mares enlisted help from a private investigator and an attorney.
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Nearly three years, and a court battle later, she was reunited with Semper.
“I saw him in the car and knew it was him, I was so shaky, I just broke down, I just broke down," said Mares.
10News reached out to microchipping company Pet Key but has not yet heard back.
However, through the Pet Key Facebook page, a representative told Mares' private investigator that it’s not their policy to check a microchip before registering and that many chips are registered with more than one company.
Mares hopes her story enacts policy change in the microchipping industry so this doesn't continue to happen to families.
