KEY POINTS:
A Siberian husky found tied to a gate outside a pub in Yorkshire, England, has a microchip in her back from an Auckland vet clinic in Mt Wellington.
Qui Qui, who was found tied outside a Sheffield pub, attracted the attention of British media when the microchip revealed she was registered in New Zealand.
Rebecca Penn, who found the dog, told the BBC: "To be honest, when someone told me where she'd come from I thought it was a wind-up.
"I couldn't believe a dog had come all the way here from New Zealand and I'm left wondering how she got here."
The husky is being cared for at the Barnsley and District Animal Welfare Centre in Sheffield.
Manager Paul Silver said investigations into her background uncovered records of her being microchipped at a Mt Wellington Vet clinic in 2002.
Qui Qui was vaccinated in 2003 at Auckland Veterinary Service where her owner's name was recorded as Zang.
Mr Silver said: "She is a gorgeous dog, she really is. Someone, somewhere must be missing her. She was found in excellent condition. Very well cared for."
He said language may be a barrier to reuniting Qui Qui with her owner. "You have to speak to her in Chinese but she will respond to `sit' and `lie down' in English."
He doubts Qui Qui was abandoned. "A dog like that could be worth a few thousand pounds. It's more likely she was stolen."
Tracy Patterson of Animalz Mt Wellington vet clinic, confirmed Qui Qui and her owner's New Zealand details were in their database but she could not disclose them. She did not indicate if she was able to contact the owners of the dog.
George Thomas, whose firm Dogtainers ships animals around the world, said sending Qui Qui to the UK would cost up to $6000.
If Qui Qui's owner can't be found after seven days she will be available for adoption. One of the students who found her has volunteered to give her a home.
