Texas dog home after 8 years, answering new name

[May 07, 2009]  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A puppy that scampered away from her Texas home is all grown up now and mysteriously back after eight years. Owner Alison Murphy of Austin isn't sure where Dancer has been but says obedience school is the next stop for her newly recovered pet.

KVUE-TV reports that the brown and white terrier mix was left last week at the Humane Society in New Braunfels, about 45 miles away. A musician found the dog in his neighborhood and after a few days took the animal to the Humane Society to see if she had a microchip implant.

Dancer did.

Murphy says Dancer's teeth "are in great shape" and the dog is "still the same old girl."

Except the dog no longer recognizes her name. She instead responds to the name Fern.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.