CCU couple pleasantly surprised with return of Dori

On Nov. 22, 2017, Scott and Rosemary Pleasant were all smiles as they headed home with their newest addition; a 7-pound Chihuahua named Doris. When they got home, Doris got frightened in their driveway, slipped her leash and ran away from home.

Almost five months after she disappeared, a kind stranger found her and took her to the Banfield Animal Hospital in Myrtle Beach. After scanning her microchip, the nurses at the hospital contacted the Pleasants to let them know their furry friend had been found.

“We didn’t have high expectations after a few weeks had passed,” said Rosemary Pleasant, business manager for the Edwards College. “I don’t think shocked is a sufficient word to describe how I felt when I heard she was alive and well, and coming home!”

Doris survived the long cold winter and made her way back to her family. She is now living at home with the Pleasants and enjoying the company of her new siblings, Loki and Lois. Loki, Doris’ older brother, does not mind her unless she tries to lie in his favorite bed. When Doris and Loris get rowdy, Loki barks a few times to get them to settle down. Lois, an almost 8-month-old miniature pinscher, has been happy to have someone her size in the house. She wants to play with Doris and smother her with love and affection.

Doris, however, does not love this but is trying to create boundaries and has begun to play with Lois. They both cuddle up in bed with the Pleasants at night and sleep safe and sound.

Without her microchip, Doris may have never found her family. The Pleasants highly encourage all pet owners to have their fur babies microchipped and also to be sure to update the information on it.

“Scott and I were proactive in trying to find Doris when she ran away, and we did all of the things that the experts recommended you do when your pet is missing,” said Rosemary Pleasant. “Ultimately, it was her microchip that brought her home.”