Princess the dog was stolen from owner 3 years ago in Texas. Then came a happy reunion

A Texas woman was reunited with her dog, Princess, this week after she was stolen three years ago, authorities said.

Deputies with the Bexas County Sheriff’s Office rescued the dog on Wednesday, April 6, from the street around the Bexar County Jail — where she was nearly run over by a car, according to a post on the sheriff’s office Facebook page.

The small white dog had matted fur, a few cuts and was wearing a new collar with no number, the post says.

A sheriff’s deputy took her to the vet where a scan of her microchip revealed her owner’s name, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputy found the owner, who told him that Princess had been stolen three years earlier.

“Princess was reunited with her owners thanks to Deputy Mitchell and we couldn’t be happier to have assisted with this reunion!” the post says.

Microchipping greatly increases the likelihood that a lost pet will be reunited with their owner, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. A study of more than 7,700 animals in shelters showed that dogs with microchips were returned to their owners more than half of the time, while dogs without microchips were reunited with their owners 22% of the time, according to the association.

This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 1:51 PM.