Flor Reunited With Her Family Twelve Years After She Disappeared

A Chihuahua named Flor is back with her family twelve years after she disappeared from Chicago. A microchip scan and several volunteers connected the dog found in northwest Indiana with Vanessa Antonino, who had continued to remember Flor throughout the years apart.

The reunion took place on Wednesday night at the Evanston Animal Shelter. Reports from NBC Chicago, ABC7 Chicago and WBBM describe the same central sequence, including the microchip scan, volunteer research and Flor's return to Antonino.

Flor was found after severe weather in Indiana

Flor was found near roads in Gary, Indiana, after damaging weather affected the area. A person helping with storm recovery brought her to safety, and she later reached Griffith Animal Control. Staff scanned the dog and found a microchip.

The contact number attached to the chip was no longer current. That could have ended the search, but volunteers with Microchip Hunters and Lost Dogs Illinois worked through the older registration information to identify Antonino.

A volunteer network completed the journey home

The scan was only the first step. People connected with Griffith Animal Control, Microchip Hunters, Lost Dogs Illinois and the Evanston Animal Shelter helped confirm the match and arrange transportation. A shelter volunteer then brought Flor from Indiana to Evanston.

Antonino told NBC Chicago that she had shown Flor's photograph to her four children over the years. When she finally saw the dog again, she said she broke down and cried. ABC7 Chicago independently reported that Antonino held Flor again at the shelter on Wednesday night.

What is known about the years Flor was missing

The full account of Flor's twelve years away is not known. WBBM reported that a woman who saw a shelter post said Flor had lived with another family for years and had recently been taken in by her before slipping away after the storm. Buddylio could not independently confirm every part of that history.

The verified ending is clearer than the missing middle. Flor was scanned, volunteers traced the chip, and the dog was reunited with Antonino. The available reporting does not establish one complete timeline for every home or caretaker Flor may have known in between.

Why the microchip still mattered

A microchip does not track a pet's location. It stores an identification number that can point a shelter or veterinary team toward a registry. The reunion depended on someone scanning Flor and volunteers continuing the search after the listed phone number proved outdated.

Pet owners can ask a veterinary clinic or shelter to scan a chip and confirm that the number can be read. The AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool can identify the registry associated with many chip numbers. Owners still need to keep their contact details current with that registry.

How we reported this: Buddylio reviewed the named sources, checked the organizations and figures shown above, and added context for animal lovers. Any illustration is labeled and does not depict the actual animals or scene. Articles are editorial content, not veterinary advice.