Full Breakdown
Long-Lost Chihuahua Reunited After 12 Years
8/28/2026, 10:06:03 PM
Core Event: Flor Returns Home After a Decade-Long Absence
A chihuahua named Flor, missing from north-side Chicago for 12 years, was identified via a microchip scan at an animal shelter in Gary, Indiana, and reunited with her owner, Vanessa Antonino, at the Evanston Animal Shelter in Illinois. A volunteer transported the dog from Indiana to Evanston.
Background & Context: Disappearance, Search, and Discovery
Antonino left Flor in her car while she worked. One day the dog was gone. Over the years she thought about Flor daily and showed her picture to her children. No formal missing-pet notice was filed.
Recent severe weather in Indiana led a volunteer to find a frightened dog near a road. The animal was taken to Griffith Animal Control & Shelter, where volunteers with the nonprofit Microchip Hunters scanned a chip that linked Flor to Antonino’s original registration, despite an outdated contact number.
Key Figures & Groups
- Vanessa Antonino – Owner who lost Flor in 2012.
- Flor – Female chihuahua, about 4 years old at disappearance; now ~16.
- Evanston Animal Shelter – Coordinated transport and reunion.
- Griffith Animal Control & Shelter (Gary, Indiana) – Received Flor after the storm rescue.
- Microchip Hunters – Tracked the “dead-end” microchip.
- Jeanette Garlow – Co-Director of Lost Dogs Illinois, commented on microchip issues.
- Tanya Ohanian – Canine director at Evanston Animal Shelter, facilitated the reunion.
- Gillian Primavera – Volunteer who initially found Flor.
Data & Statistics
Official Statements & Responses
Evanston Animal Shelter officials confirmed the microchip scan led to the owner’s identification. Shelter canine director Tanya Ohanian called the reunion “a dream” and noted its rarity. Jeanette Garlow explained that outdated phone numbers are a common obstacle for “dead-end” chips.
Why It Matters: Lessons on Microchipping and Owner Outreach
The case highlights the need to keep microchip records current. Accurate registration can enable reunions even after many years. It also shows how volunteer networks and nonprofits can bridge gaps between shelters across state lines.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No police report or legal finding has been cited, and the exact circumstances of Flor’s 2012 disappearance remain undocumented.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I broke down completely. She was back with me. A piece of my heart was back with me.” — Vanessa Antonino
- “It’s such a heartwarming and touching story. And something that doesn’t happen very often, that you find an animal that is this far in their life, and then they’re able to be reunited with their original owner.” — Tanya Ohanian, shelter canine director
