Family urge pet owners to check microchip details are accurate and up to date
A family faced a three-day agony after their dog ran away and was knocked down by a car.
14-year-old Jack Russell Milly was rushed to Vets Now in Liverpool where staff battled to save her life when it looked likely she would die.
Thankfully she did pull through but, although Milly had been microchipped, owners Julie and Terry Karalius couldn’t initially be contacted due to an issue with the details.
It meant the Warrington couple had no idea where she was and had sleepless nights fearing they had lost her forever.
Happily, they were eventually reunited, and a hugely thankful Julie is urging all owners to ensure their pet’s microchip information is accurate and up to date.
Milly got out from the smallholding where she lives with sister Daisy.
“They are both in a pen during the day if I’m out and the farm is usually always securely locked down,” said Julie, 63. “We can’t understand how the pen gate got open, but they both got out.
“Although Daisy is very much a home bird and was still around, Milly had wandered off. We hunted for days but couldn’t find her anywhere.
“We called everyone we could think of and put out pleas everywhere but with no success.
“We were absolutely devastated, and Daisy was distraught without her sister.
“Terry actually lost his leg through sepsis quite recently, so we’ve been through a lot as a family. The dogs are a big part of our lives, and this just seemed like the final blow.”
Milly had strayed onto a road close to the house and was hit by a car. She was found, badly injured and in a pool of blood, and local police scooped her up and rushed her to Vets Now’s Liverpool clinic.
It’s one of a nationwide chain of more than 60 hospitals and clinics open seven days a week for out-of-hours pet emergencies.
“Milly was in a critical state when she came in and the prognosis really wasn’t good,” said principal nurse manager Sarah Courtney. “She had head and chest wounds and it looked like she might not survive the night.
“But she did and, thankfully, she was stable enough for a vet to treat her injuries the following day.
“As the week went on, she got stronger and stronger, and every member of staff involved in Milly’s care was amazed at her strength and determination to survive.”
Although Milly continued to battle through, attempts to reunite her with her owners were thwarted by the microchip mix-up. But after three heart-breaking days, Terry got in touch with a dog’s home who had heard of Milly.
The breakthrough came after an animal care assistant at Vets Now posted her details on a local lost and found page.
“We don’t know why Milly’s microchip didn’t have our correct details as we had it done at our vets,” said Julie. “It’s a real mystery but we were able to confirm the microchip number and that led to us being told she was at Vets Now.
“She was still dozy from the surgery, but it was amazing to see her again and very tearful when the staff brought her out. They were so lovely and caring and I can’t thank Vets Now enough for everything they did when it looked hopeless.”
Milly was given further checks and ongoing care at her local vets and has made a remarkable recovery.
“She’s just like the old Milly other than the fact she is a bit clingy, which is understandable,” added Julie. “I’d just urge everyone to get their dog microchipped and check that all the details are right as we’d hate someone to go through what we did.”
All of Vets Now’s premises always have a vet and vet nurse on site.
We partner with PawSquad, an online video consultation service to make professional veterinary advice more easily available.
While the service is not suitable for life-threatening emergencies, like Milly’s, our experienced vets are available to discuss any worries or concerns you might have.
