Portland, Oregon resident Joey Martin has PTSD and anxiety so an emotional support doggo was assigned to him. He got Max since he was a puppy, and the two have bonded since then. The German shepherd mix is so effective, that he has turned Joey from a hermit that never comes out of his house to an adventurer who travels a lot.
Just a few months back, he arranged for a short adventure with Max to visit the Olympic National Park right in the state of Washington. However, when they got to the city of Auburn, a stone’s throw from their destination, Joey had a medical emergency. He needed to be hospitalized so he left Max at their hotel.
Unfortunately, the hotel staff were clueless regarding Joey’s whereabouts, and they tried calling Joey’s phone to no avail. Joey’s phone and his wallet were left in the hotel room while he was in the hospital. So the hotel management deemed it necessary to surrender Max to the local shelter.
The staff at Auburn Valley Humane Society scanned Max for a microchip and they tried calling and texting him but they were reaching out to that same unattended phone. So after three days, they decided to put Max up for adoption. The pooch was adopted immediately, much to the dismay of Joey when he got out of the hospital.
He was so upset at what happened, but he can’t really blame anyone, as it was only a huge misunderstanding. Fortunately, the family that adopted Max understood the situation and the pup’s importance to Joey. So they agreed to give him back.
Joey was elated to have Max back in his arms, and he plans to continue their trip to the Olympic National Park. The Auburn Valley Humane Society took this opportunity to educate dog parents. They said that there should be a secondary contact person on the microchip as it increases the likelihood of contacting the right owners by 30 percent.
Credits: Q13 FOX Seattle