'Snoopy Come Home'... from Georgia

A beagle that strayed from a New York City yard five years ago has been reunited with its owners after being found 850 miles away in Georgia.

The supervisor at the Liberty County Animal Control center in Hinesville, Ga., says someone dropped off Rocco the pooch on July 5. A microchip embedded under Rocco's skin helped trace him to his family in Queens.

Natalie Villacis was 5 years old when Rocco disappeared. She says it's like a dream having him back and she's ecstatic.

She says she cried hysterically when he was returned to her last weekend, just like she cried when he vanished in 2003.

Animal control center supervisor Randy Durrence says it's unheard of to reunite a family with a pet after so many years. He says he can't imagine how Rocco made such a journey.

(The Associated Press)

Animal officials have to put puppies, kittens and cats to sleep

77 animals at a northeast Georgia shelter have been put down after an outbreak of an upper respiratory infection. Hall County says the outbreak has been going on for several months. Anti-biotics have been unsuccessful. Animal officials say putting the puppies, kittens and cats to sleep is the only way to keep the disease from spreading to the other 240 animals.