MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A stolen dog from California has been found in Minnesota.

Mama was stolen from her owner in Oakland, California, a year and a half ago. The pit bull mix ended up as a stray in Animal Control.

The pup has a microchip so the shelter was able to call her owner in California. Thanks to the kindness of strangers from the Twin Cities, Mama is heading home.

A group of volunteers is making the drive from Minnesota to California.

A local nonprofit called A Rotta Love Plus is asking for donations to cover gas, meals and lodging for their transport volunteers.

Animal shelter workers say microchips are a great idea for your pet.

"Get your pets chipped, and when they get lost it might take a day, a week, a month, maybe 18 months, and you have a good chance of your dog getting back home," Michelle Klatt, director of A Rotta Love Plus, said.

Donations are tax-deductible; anything raised in excess of this transport project will go directly toward microchipping local dogs via A Rotta Love's programs in underserved communities.

If you would like to help get Mama back home, click here.