A FAMILY pet, trapped in France for two weeks after her microchip failed, is on her way home.

Coco, a chocolate labrador, was impounded by customs who said her owners could not prove she was the right dog.

Now she could be reunited with her family in Bury this weekend.

The manufacturers of Coco's microchip have managed to retrieve her unique ID number from the damaged chip.

And once all the necessary red tape has been completed, Coco will be on her way back home. Her owner Jane Birtwistle said: "It is fantastic news. We just can't wait to have Coco home. But we don't want any other dog to have to go through the trauma suffered by Coco.

"We really think her case should be used as a basis for a change in the law to ensure this doesn't happen again."

As reported in the M.E.N, the ordeal began when she travelled to France with Jane, her husband Richard and baby son Joshua.

Under the new Pet Travel Scheme all travelling dogs must be micro-chipped, blood-tested, vaccinated against rabies and have a valid passport.

But on their return, French pet passport control officers were unable to scan Coco's microchip. So Coco had to remain in French kennels while her microchip was sent back to its manufacturers. Richard and Jane had to return to Bury. They were told it could be six months before she would be allowed back into the country.

But the number has now been retrieved meaning Coco could be home by the weekend.

Teacher Jane, 32, said: "We had so much support from people all over Europe for Coco. Our local MP David Chaytor was even going to raise it with minister David Miliband. Coco has undergone unnecessary surgery to have her microchip removed and a new one inserted. There must be a more humane way to deal with this situation."

Jane has spoken to the Dog Trust and the Kennel Club who are looking into the possibility of dogs' DNA profile being used as a back-up to their microchip so no dog would have to undergo surgery and quarantine like Coco.