Lost after fireworks and freezing weather, Apache the dog made it home thanks to a tiny microchip and a lot of kindness. 🐾
KERRVILLE, Texas — What started as a frightening New Year’s Eve for a dog named Apache ended in hugs, happy tears, and a powerful reminder of why microchips matter.
Apache went missing on New Year’s Eve after being startled by fireworks, according to his owner. Despite social media posts and days of searching, there were no leads, and hope was beginning to fade.
Then, just as an extreme freeze set in, Apache showed up tired, hungry and cold on a doorstep in Ingram.
A kind couple took him in, kept him warm through the freezing temperatures, and made sure he was safe. Wanting to help him find his way home, they brought Apache to the Hunt Salon, where owner Buff Adams scanned him for a microchip.
That scan changed everything.
Apache was microchipped, allowing Kerrville Pets Alive! to quickly track down his family. On Wednesday, after weeks apart, Apache was reunited with the people who had been missing him so dearly.
“We have microchip scanners stationed throughout the county with our volunteers so people who find lost pets don’t have to travel to a veterinary office or shelter — especially when those may be closed,” said Karen Guerriero, executive director of Kerrville Pets Alive!. “We have reunited almost 100 pets with their owners because they were microchipped.”
Guerriero says Apache himself received his microchip at one of KPA’s wellness clinics, one of many free services offered year-round to help keep pets safe.
For Kerr County residents, free microchipping is available at Kerr County Animal Services on Loop 534 in Kerrville, as well as at any of the 11 spay and neuter clinics planned by Kerrville Pets Alive! in 2026.
For Apache and his family, that tiny chip made a big difference, turning a long, cold separation into a very warm reunion.
If you’d like to support Kerrville Pets Alive!’s life-saving microchipping and reunification efforts can email info@kerrvillepetsalive.org, donate online at kerrvillepetsalive.org, or mail donations to 317 Sidney Baker S., Suite 400, PMB 345, Kerrville, TX 78028.