More than a month after her Goldendoodle went missing from her yard, a Mobile woman says a promising microchip alert led not to a reunion, but to weeks of unanswered questions and a legal battle of her own.
Linnea Tyree says her dog, Olive, disappeared from her yard on May 29. According to Tyree, the dog had been secured to a heavy-duty ground stake he had never previously escaped, and when she discovered he was gone, the entire stake was missing along with him, leading her to believe someone may have removed the dog rather than him breaking free on his own.
More than a week later, Tyree says she got the notification she had been waiting for. On June 6, Olive’s PetWatch microchip registered a scan during a vaccination clinic at Little Flower Catholic Church. Tyree says the alert reached her phone within minutes of the scan.
“As soon as he was scanned, I got the notification on my phone,” Tyree said. “PetWatch sent me a notification at 10:16 and I called them at 10:18.”
Tyree says she immediately contacted Mobile Animal Services, hoping to arrange Olive’s return. She says she was first told staff were working to locate him, then received a follow-up call directing her to the vaccination clinic. By the time she arrived, she says Olive was already gone.
“By the time that I made it there, he was gone,” Tyree said. “They allowed him to leave with the person who brought him… they told me he was going to be allowed to keep him until Monday.”
Instead of a Monday return, Tyree says she was told a different story altogether.
“They told me Olive was not at his house and they were claiming that he had run off again,” Tyree said.
Tyree believes her contact information should have been available the moment Olive’s microchip was scanned. Microchips are typically registered with a pet owner’s name, phone number, address and email, information intended to allow shelters, clinics and animal control officers to reach an owner quickly.
“My microchip company said… all of my information was available. My name, phone number, address, my email… and they never once tried to contact me,” she said.
Weeks later, Tyree went to the home of the person she believes last had possession of Olive, hoping to get answers. That confrontation led to legal trouble of her own — court records show she was later charged with harassment and third-degree criminal trespass. Tyree turned herself in on the charges and says the legal fallout has added to the emotional and financial strain of continuing to search for her dog. She has since hired an attorney and started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal expenses.
“None of this would’ve happened if they would’ve just scanned this microchip and called me to come pick him up,” she said.
More than a month after Olive disappeared, Tyree says she still has not located him on missing pet pages and believes someone may currently have him.
“I probably only had him for like six months, but I was going through a lot,” she said. “Getting him from the shelter… it made me feel like I had a purpose again… I had a reason to come home… he needed me just as much as I needed him… and now he’s gone. I don’t know if he’s been rehomed or if he’s hurt.”
“If you see him… let somebody know. I’m not angry. I just want him back,” Tyree said. “I really just want to know what happened.”
Microchipping has become one of the most widely recommended tools for reuniting lost pets with their owners, since collars and tags can fall off or be removed but an implanted chip generally cannot. Veterinarians and animal welfare groups routinely urge pet owners to keep their contact information updated with their chip registry to ensure a scan actually leads back to them.
Anyone with information about Olive’s whereabouts is asked to contact Mobile Animal Services or local law enforcement. Tyree’s GoFundMe remains active for those wishing to help with her legal expenses.