Andy Christensen’s glad his dog has a little something extra. Before he adopted the retriever/mastiff mix, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa implanted a microchip in the big dog, and it wasn’t long before the technology proved its worth. Andy named the dog Hellig, which means “Lucky” in Norwegian, but the pooch had already had three unsuitable foster homes, including a couple that almost proved fatal. The dog loved Christensen’s acreage, but one day he wandered off. Thanks to the grain-of-rice-sized chip, the animal was quickly identified by animal control officers with a microchip scanner, and he’s back home chasing rabbits. A grateful Christensen is donating a new microchip scanner to the city of Johnston so more lost animals can be identified and returned to their owners.
