Stolen Californian dog turns up in Northern Michigan

MISSAUKEE COUNTY, Mich. - Lately it seems there's a GoFundMe.com page for everything and everybody, but this one is special.

The owner of a dog stolen from a home in California has started a GoFundMe campaign to get his best friend back home. But he didn't just wander a couple towns over.

The dog, named Señor Santiago, was discovered five months later in Lake City, Michigan, about an hour south of Traverse City - nearly 2000 miles away!

How in the world?

Let's backtrack. Señor Santiago, described by his owner as a "deer-headed chihuahua--ish dog," was reported stolen back in March. The Humane Society says the person who stole him took him to a park in Los Angeles and sold the dog. The new owner moved with Señor Santiago to the Missaukee County area (home to Lake City), and eventually the dog said adios and ditched his new owner.

He was found wandering the streets by a local resident and turned over to the Missaukee Humane Society.

Thankfully Señor Santiago had been micro-chipped and the Humane Society was able to contact his rightful owner. The problem is, his owner is going through a rough financial patch and doesn't have the money to fly him home.

Hence the GoFundMe campaign. According to the page:
"If I can raise $1,600 through GoFundMe, my lil' family will be together again. That is the amount to cover a round trip flight betwen LAX and TVC (Traverse City, Michigan), lodging, plus a donation to the MHS for the tireless efforts in caring for animals in their communities."

So far, he's raised nearly $300 in less than a week. If you'd like to help, click here.