Yunlin: An elderly lost dog has been found in Yunlin County, days after its owner drew national media attention by offering a NT$500,000 (US$15,873) reward for its return.
According to Focus Taiwan, the owner, surnamed Chen, posted a notice online on Sunday, stating that the mixed-breed dog she has owned for 12 years went missing during a visit to her husband's family in Yunlin's Erlun Township. The lost dog poster, which circulated on Threads, Line, and Facebook, announced the reward for the return of her pet, a 12-kilogram, black and white female named "Chen Mei-chi."
On Tuesday morning, the dog was found in a neighbor's yard about 800 meters away from Chen's relatives' home in Sanhe Village. The man in his 60s who discovered the dog, surnamed Liao, said his son noticed it running nearby and took a picture to confirm its identity. Shortly after, the dog entered their yard, prompting Liao to contact Chen.
Liao mentioned that as "neighbors" of sorts-his daughter was a childhood classmate of Chen's husband-he did not wish to accept the full NT$500,000 reward, though he would consider accepting a small amount as a "token of appreciation."
While Chen was overjoyed to be reunited with her dog, she noted the downside of publicizing the search. During the two-day search, Chen received "hundreds" of fraudulent telephone calls and messages, including some with AI-generated images falsely claiming to have found her dog. Others accused her of fabricating the story.