On the front page you’ll see a heartwarming story about a family reunion.

Recently a family surrendered a dog at the Picayune animal shelter.

It turned out, the dog was living with a local man who found him after the dog somehow escaped his original home in Ocean Springs.

Now, after nearly five years, the original owners were finally reunited with their pet because of a microchip.

This isn’t as uncommon as one might think. Tuesday, the Associated Press reported a California shelter found a dog missing from central Texas since May when the region was plagued by flooding.

No one knows how the dog got to California, but he, too, is heading home now.

In both cases, the dog owners were tracked down because of microchips.

For those who have never suffered the sudden disappearance of a pet, the loss can be sudden and traumatic, and we’re sure the families in these scenarios will be glad to be together once more.

But aside from a feel-good story, these stories are a reminder to all of us to get our pets microchipped.

Collar tags with owner information can come lose or may be removed, but an implanted microchip cannot be easily removed and it is invisible without a chip reader.

Most shelters have chip readers, and it is standard shelter policy to scan animals when they are brought in.

The process is simple, safe and cheap and on Nov. 14, the Pearl River County SPCA is hosting a shot clinic in Picayune at Jack Reed Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual event will offer a variety of services, among them microchipping.

If you have not microchipped your cat or dog, we encourage you to do so.

It can save you a broken heart down the road.