Brighten Your Day

A Dog From Florida Got Lost In South Carolina. A Community Came Together To Find Him

August 14, 2022

A 6-year-old chihuahua from Florida is back home after being found by a family in South Carolina.

Credit: Richburg Fire-Rescue

On July 17, Jean Powers was involved in an accident on Interstate 77 in Chester County, South Carolina.

Her frightened dog ran off into the woods.

"He had darted into the woods and we just couldn't find him," said T. Melton, chief at Richburg Fire & Rescue. "It was dark."

Where Goofuss was found

Powers, 87, had adopted the dog years ago and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Powers and family members searched for days for the dog. Firefighters and volunteers searched. Chester County Animal Control assisted with a humane trap that was put near the site where the crash happened.

Powers herself stayed in Chester County for days. Eventually, she returned home to Florida.

Richburg Fire-Rescue

Richburg Fire & Rescue posted about the missing dog on its Facebook page. The word spread as the post was shared.

On Aug. 2, more than two weeks after the dog went missing, a woman called the fire department. She worked at the BP station near the highway and told how a Chester County couple had seen the social media postings and believed the missing dog had wandered to their house.

Animal Control officers and firefighters rushed to the home of Amber Moore to see if the dog's microchip matched the owner.

"Sure enough, it was the same dog," Melton said.

Goofuss was driven to Florida the next day and reunited with Powers.

"Thanks to the extra efforts and kindness of Amber Moore and Chance Millwood, the message made it out!" the fire station wrote in a Facebook post.

"We met with the family and Animal Control came out to verify things. The microchip was scanned and the owner is soon to be reunited with her baby!! Once again, the amazing people in our community come through!"

Powers said in a Facebook post that her prayers had been answered with Goofuss being found and returned.