In a seemingly impossible feat, a wayward dog missing from the sunny corridors of California since the peak of summer has unexpectedly emerged over 2,000 miles away in the wintry heartland of suburban Detroit.
Harper Woods is a quiet, peaceful town, often uneventful until police responded to a report concerning a stray dog one fateful week. Upon discovery, a forlorn terrier mix was cornered and swiftly placed under the care of the diligent officers who then entrusted her to the hands of an animal welfare group.
The Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society receives numerous canines, but this one was different. A routine examination revealed that the stray, christened Mishka, bore an identity chip harboring crucial information about her rightful owners.
In the sunny city of San Diego lived Mehrad Houman and his family, the distraught owners of Mishka. They were in the midst of preparing for a journey to Minnesota when a rather surreal call interrupted their spiraling despair. Upon landing in Minnesota, Mehrad’s focus shifted from his planned family trip and he hopped back in the car for a 10-hour journey to Michigan, spurred by the implausible news of Mishka’s discovery.
The adoption group fondly recollected the emotional reunion between Mehrad and Mishka on their Facebook page, cheekily suggesting it was a “tale that Hollywood would love to tell.”
Mishka’s sojourn began one fateful day in July, where she had wandered away from her world at Houman’s auto garage, never to return. Despite her collar bearing the family’s contact number, her tracks faded away.
Corinne Martin, director of the animal welfare group, speculated that Mishka was likely stolen and sold, whimsically ending up in Michigan.
Elizabeth Houman, Mehrad’s wife, described the journey as “incredible.” Her hope was unwavering throughout the ordeal, she recalled on a Thursday afternoon. Flyers numbering in the thousands were scattered hither and thither, and a perpetual reminder of Mishka’s absence was adorned across her back windshield. She even wore Mishka’s leash around town, stirring sentiments and poignant memories.
Dr. Nancy Pillsbury of Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society tended to the travel-weary Mishka, providing her with a thorough examination and required vaccinations before clearing her for the long journey back to sunny California. Mishka appeared in excellent condition, displaying signs of good care, she noted. The mystery of her extensive journey, however, remains known only to Mishka herself.
