Peaches reunited with family after two years

A routine call to Hamilton City Council’s Animal Education and Control team has led to the reunion of a beloved dog and its owners who hadn’t seen the pooch in almost two years.

Maltese Bichon cross Peaches was stolen from the owner’s fenced Taupo property in March 2014, and left Ella Martelli and her nine-year-old grandson Angelo Martelli heartbroken. When the dog was picked up by staff, they were quickly able to scan her microchip which showed, in the National Dog Database, her owner’s contact details from when she was registered in Taupo.

Sue Stanford, the Council’s Animal Education and Control Manager, decided to make a special trip down to Taupo on Saturday (9 January) to reunite the two as the owners were unable to travel to Hamilton.
Mrs Martelli said with Peaches home, her family is complete again.


Animal Education and Control Manager, Sue Stanford, with Peaches the Maltese Bichon cross. Photo courtesy of Hamilton City Council

“I had to pinch myself to make it feel real, she is finally right back where she belongs. It was wonderful the Hamilton staff took the time to check her microchip and return her home. It was like having Christmas all over again.”

Ms Stanford said it all happened very fast, and microchipping was the key to the two being reunited.  

“It started out as a routine call but quickly turned into something special. It took less than two days, from the time we found Peaches, to safely return her to Ella. Without Peaches being microchipped and registered in Taupo, we wouldn’t have been able to return her home,” said Ms Stanford.

“For us to be able to reunite a dog and their owner is great and it’s what makes our job rewarding.”

Approximately 60 per cent of dogs found roaming in Hamilton are not microchipped or registered making it harder for staff to find the dog’s owners and help return them home. 

Microchipping is a legal requirement for dog owners, under the Dog Control Act, and can be completed at Animal Education and Control, the SPCA or at any vet.