Lost dog turns up 500 miles away

DETROIT – Jim Arrighi last saw Petey, his 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier, in the backyard of his home in Erin, Tenn.

That was in July, and the 73-year-old retired electrician had nearly given up on seeing his pet again when he learned the dog turned up safe about 500 miles away in suburban Detroit. A Michigan Humane Society volunteer was expected to return Petey to Arrighi today.

“This is just a little town and everybody is buzzing about it,” said Arrighi’s daughter, Tyanne Morrison.

Morrison believes Petey left Arrighi’s yard “and somebody picked him up.”

While struggling with the loss of his dog, Arrighi also lost his wife, Juanita, who suffered from pulmonary disease and died Oct. 12.

Last week, a homeowner in a Detroit suburb saw Petey in his backyard and took him to a Humane Society animal care center. The Michigan Humane Society scanned Petey for an implanted microchip, which led the organization to his owner.

Arrighi was thrilled to receive the call, Morrison said. “He thinks my mother, who is in heaven, sent the dog back to him,” she said.