Kika, the Yorkshire terrier, went missing for two days after running away from her home in north-west London.
She was found three kilometres away and handed into the Mayhew Animal Home rescue centre in Kensal Green by a concerned member of the public.
Paul Grimes, Animal Welfare Officer, said: “I did a bit of detective work as the UK database had no information on the microchip. The unique microchip number showed the dog was from Portugal.
“Amazingly when I rang the Portuguese company the owner had updated the chip company with their details.
“It was a good result for the Mayhew and they were both very happy to see each other.”
One-year-old Kika’s Portuguese owner, Susana Panto, who lives in Cricklewood, added: “I was so distraught when she went missing. I thought she’d been eaten by a fox as she’s so small or that someone had snatched her.
“I got her from Portugal and luckily I had her microchipped. She gets separation anxiety as I work nights and I think that’s why she wandered off.
“I am so grateful to the Mayhew to have her back. She is like a member of the family.”
Paul said: “This just shows the importance of microchipping your pet, even if you get it from another country. Not only will this help with reuniting more dogs with their owners but also make more people accountable for their actions if they abandon their pets.”
This outcome of this incident could be seen as all the more poignant given that June is National Microchip Month in the UK, and that by April 2016 it will be compulsory in England to have all dogs micro-chipped and details updated.
The Mayhew offers a low-cost microchipping service at its clinic. For more information see: https://themayhew.org/