A Palo Alto man was reunited with a family dog Tuesday, more than four years after it had gone missing, according to a Peninsula Humane Society spokesman.

Oreo, a Boston Terrier, was found wandering near Security Public Storage on Hyde Court in Daly City on Tuesday, and a passerby called the humane society to report it, society spokesman Scott Delucchi said.

A human society officer picked up Oreo and noticed he had a leg injury that had gone untreated for some time, Delucchi said. When the dog arrived at the humane society, he was scanned for a microchip, which traced him back to Palo Alto resident Brandon Springer.

Delucchi said Springer told a humane official that Oreo was his grandmother's dog, but she had passed away last year. A gate in Springer's grandmother's yard was left open, which allowed Oreo to escape nearly five years ago, Delucchi said.

Springer told officials he believed Oreo went to nearby Cubberley Park where he would go for daily walks. The park was host to a soccer tournament, and Springer said he believed someone at the tournament took Oreo, Delucchi said.

Despite Oreo having both a microchip and collar with his owner's contact information, the person who claimed him did not report it, according to Delucchi. With Oreo now in Springer's possession, he planned to take him to his primary veterinarian for further tests on the leg. The extent of Oreo's injury is unknown.

Springer has two dogs, and said he will take Oreo home to see if they all get along. If not, the Daly City resident who found Oreo expressed interest in adopting him, Delucchi said.

"It's a happy ending," Delucchi said.

The humane society advises everyone to microchip their pets to have a similar ending, should the pet go missing.

— Bay City News Service

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