Dog owners use DNA test to sort out missing pet case

WINDER - A dispute between two families over a wandering dog has been resolved through court-ordered DNA testing. <br> <br> The Carbones and the Schunkes, two families who live about 1,000 yards apart in the small town of Auburn, each thought a black Labrador retriever was their runaway pet returning home after a long absence. <br> <br> The Schunkes&#39; dog, Rad, had been missing for two-and-a-half years. The Carbones had not seen their dog, Logan, in about four months. <br> <br> But Angela and William Carbone, who still knew the breeder who sold them their dog, asked the court to compare DNA tests of the mystery dog with samples from Logan&#39;s parents. <br> <br> Oral swabs for DNA were taken, and tests proved the dog was indeed Logan. The Schunkes handed him over to their neighbors -- gracefully, but with their hopes dashed. <br> <br> Magistrate Judge June Schuenemann ordered the Schunkes to pay $798 for the cost of the DNA tests and court filing and half of the Carbones&#39; attorney fees.