Missing Dog Found In Atlanta, 500 Miles From Indiana Home (VIDEO)

Was it a well-meaning trucker? A group of travelers? A sudden urge to head south? Karen and Victor Stievenart will never know what drove their beloved dog, Jasmine, 500 miles from home after she slipped out of her collar in April.

But as Atlanta's WSB-TV shows, the Terre Haute, Ind., couple are overjoyed to have their dog back.

"I didn't think we'd see her again," a tearful Karen Stievenart told the station.

According to shelter personnel at Fulton County Animal Services, it wasn't blind chance, but smart technology that led to the happy reunion Monday. A microchip implanted in Jasmine allowed workers at the shelter to find and contact the dog's owners.

Visit WSB-TV for more details.

As dog expert Cesar Millan notes, such microchips are inexpensive and measure about the size of a grain of rice. In addition, they don't cause pets any pain. Yet, for lost pets, the microchips are often the difference between returning home or not.

In fact, according to PetTravel.com, dozens of countries require pets to be microchipped, even if they are just visiting.