California

Arkansas Dog Found in California, Puzzles Owners

It had been 16 months since he went missing.

Editor's Note: A California family claims they bought Liam the husky on Craigslist and said the dog no longer belonged to the Arkansas residents who claimed him. An updated story can be found here.

A Siberian husky who recently made the news after he was found roaming the streets of Ontario does not belong to an Arkansas family to which the dog's microchip is registered.

A dog who vanished in 2014 from his home in Arkansas was found roaming the streets of Southern California, more than 1,500 miles away.

His owners said they have no idea how Liam, a 3-year-old husky, ended up so far from home.

Jim Edwards of the Inland Valley Humane Society said an Ontario resident spotted Liam in the street last Wednesday and managed to corral him until officers arrived. He was taken to the humane society in Pomona.

Shelter workers were shocked when they checked the husky mix’s microchip and realized how far Liam had traveled from his hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.

"He's extremely lucky," said Jim Edward of the Inland Valley Humane Society. "He's lucky he had a microchip in him, and lucky that the owner had registered the chip, which gave us all the information to contact the owner with their name, phone number and address."

Liam was checked out and found to be perfectly healthy.

The pup's owner, Billy Payne, was recording cellphone video when he broke the news to his young daughters, one of whom jumps for joy while the other sits speechless.

The Payne family said they didn't have the funds to fly Liam home — it would cost about $750 to fly the pup from LAX to Arkansas — so the Inland Valley Humane Society is accepting donations to expedite the reunion.

If you would like to help Liam get home, contact the Inland Valley Humane Society at 909-623-9777.

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