Nov. 19 (UPI) -- An Oregon family's cat was found more than 1,200 miles away in New Mexico after disappearing five years earlier.
The Santa Fe Animal Shelter said black cat Sasha was identified via microchip after being found recently wandering the streets of the city.
The microchip revealed Sasha's family lived more than 1,200 miles away in Portland.
Viktor Usov, 31, said he was shocked to receive a call from the shelter telling him Sasha had been found.
"I couldn't believe it," Usov said. "We thought the worst, but when we received the call, we were so thankful Sasha was alive and well."
Usov said Sasha must have hitched a ride at some point after disappearing from the family's home five years earlier.
He said the feline "was on a great American adventure."
American Airlines has offered to fly Sasha home to Oregon.
The shelter said the case highlights the importance of microchipping pets.
"A simple microchip, which is the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the pet's skin, helped us find the guardian of this missing cat," said Murad Kirdar, the shelter's public relations manager.
