Lincoln, a 13-year-old dachshund-Chihuahua mix, is 10 pounds overweight and no longer can walk far without getting tired.
But he’s getting stronger. Recently he made it up three flights of stairs. And he’s enjoying a new chapter in his life.
In his 13 years, Lincoln has had at least three known owners.
On Oct. 4, he was found tied to a fence in northeast Minneapolis with a bag of food next to him. Minneapolis Animal Care and Control couldn’t find any of his previous owners, except one — Julie Schmitt, 38, of Hopkins.
Lincoln and Schmitt’s reconnection was chronicled on TikTok, with their first video garnering more than 275,000 views.
Schmitt was heading to a workout class when she got a text saying she could pick up her dog. That was a surprise, to say the least. Schmitt hadn’t seen Lincoln in 13 years. As a 25-year-old in 2010, she cared for him briefly before a change in her living situation led her to give him to a family in Anoka.
“The woman on the phone was like, ‘You know, he’s an older dog.’ And in my brain, I was, like, older dog, what do you mean? He’s, like, so small and cute,” Schmitt said.
Tony Schendel, director of Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC), said in an email that Lincoln had been microchipped, but because the microchip information was never updated, only Schmitt’s information came up.
An hour after receiving the text, Schmitt walked into the animal control shelter and waited for Lincoln to be brought out. The dog walking down the long hallway looked nothing like the puppy she gave away long ago.
“Literally, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is that him?’,” Schmitt said. “Instant tears, just sobbing, seeing this sweet little boy who is an old man now, and not a little puppy, which is who I handed over to this family who I was hoping would take care of him until the end of his time.”
Gone was the energetic, playful puppy Schmitt last saw back in 2011. Before her stood a longer-haired “old man” with little interest in much besides eating and sleeping.
Animals found by animal control are held for a period of time before being put up for adoption. In Lincoln’s case, Schmitt was allowed to claim him, but only because his microchip was never updated.
“When it comes to microchipping after re-homing, MACC recommends that the new ‘rightful’ owner be updated on the microchip, but it’s always a good idea to have a backup contact listed as well, especially should the owner be unreachable for a period of time,” Schendel said in a statement.
Schmitt said animal control questioned her about the circumstances Lincoln was found under, but she was just as concerned as they were, especially upon hearing that he had been found in northeast Minneapolis when last she heard, he was living out of town.
Schmitt learned through TikTok that Lincoln was left tied to a guardrail in front of a house and was taken in by a woman who called animal control.
“I was heartbroken, I was shocked, and I honestly felt really guilty because I felt like I had failed him, thinking I had found him this great home, only for him to be abandoned,” Schmitt said.
After Schmitt’s initial video of her reunion with Lincoln went viral, she posted follow-up videos on how he’s adjusting to his new life.
He’s been groomed, got new toys and met some of Schmitt’s cats, although he kept them at a distance.
Lincoln and Schmitt’s latest time together was also short-lived, as Schmitt’s aunt and uncle asked if they could take him.
“I got a text from my aunt and uncle, who have always had pets, but haven’t had one for a while,” Schmitt said. “And my aunt said, ‘We were talking, and I think we would be interested in taking Lincoln if you are not able to keep him.’”
Schmitt posted an update on her TikTok account announcing that Lincoln would be moving to Chicago with his new family.
“I just hope that he continues to have a nice place to sleep and good snacks to eat, and maybe just a little bit more exercise,” Schmitt said.
