Choco is a man of mystery — the central mystery being how the small brown dog who vanished from his home in California in 2021 ended up tied to a fence in Detroit nearly five years later.
The dog’s story starts in Antelope, Calif., where a loving owner adopted him in March 2016. Sadly, in May 2021, Choco disappeared from this home and never returned.
“His owner never gave up hope. She knew he was microchipped and continued to search for him,” Helping Paws and Claws shared in a Facebook post about the pup.
The California-based animal welfare nonprofit became involved in Choco’s saga when the dog resurfaced in Detroit, Mich., thousands of miles from home, seemingly out of nowhere. Nearly five years after going missing, the dog was found abandoned and tied to a fence outside a Detroit animal shelter in late November 2025.
“1645 days later, that’s 4 years and 7 months, he showed up 2289 miles away, tied to the fence at a small shelter in Lincoln Park, near Detroit, Michigan. Choco had a microchip with a current contact number. The owner was contacted by the shelter,” Helping Paws and Claws explained on social media.
After learning her beloved pet somehow made it to Lincoln Park, Mich., not Lincoln, Calif., Choco’s owner, Patrica, was excited but unsure of what to do next. This is where Helping Paws and Claws stepped in. When the nonprofit saw a social media post from Choco’s owner asking what the best way was to get the dog home, the nonprofit decided to help.
Helping Paws and Claws put out an ask to its animal-loving community for assistance with getting Choco home. According to CBS Detroit, a kind individual donated the airline miles so Choco could book a free trip home from Detroit to California. Other volunteers picked up the dog from the Michigan shelter, drove Choco to the airport, and escorted him on the plane ride to California, which took an extra day due to plane delays. Helping Paws and Claws also noted on Facebook that Lincoln Park Animal Shelter, Pet Care Clinic Lincoln Park, and Lyla’s Mobile Pet Nail Trim kept Choco safe, healthy, and loved while he was in Michigan waiting to get back to the West Coast.
On Dec. 3, Choco returned to his California home, where he got to meet the two human siblings his owner had while he was away and started catching up on the five years of hugs he had missed.
It’s unclear how Choco made it to Michigan, but Patricia is grateful that her adorable furry friend —who has a bit more grey than the last time she saw him — is back in her arms. She urged other pet owners to take microchipping their pets seriously, as it was what made her reunion with Choco possible.
“Microchip your dogs,” she told CBS News. “With the holidays and the extreme cold, a story like mine can be your story next.”
Microchipping can be done at a vet’s office or an animal shelter and is a simple procedure: a rice-sized microchip loaded with the owner’s contact information is implanted under a pet’s skin, often near the shoulder blades. Vet offices and shelters scan lost pets for microchips, and if they find one, they can easily contact the owner.
Helping Paws and Claws also stressed the importance of microchipping and offered assistance with the process.
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“Please remember if your pet has a microchip, be sure it is registered, and double-check that the information is current and correct. Helping Paws and Claws can help if you have any questions. If your pet does not have a microchip, Choco says ‘Please get one.’ Contact us at [email protected],” the nonprofit shared on social media.
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