CITY OF TALLAHASSEE NEWS RELEASE:

City of Tallahassee Animal Services, in cooperation with the Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation, will hold a low-cost microchip clinic at the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center (ASC), located at 1125 Easterwood Drive next to Tom Brown Park, on Saturday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Animal Services hears the same story from distraught pet owners every day: “My pet lives indoors. I never thought he/she would run away and get lost!” The sad fact is that millions of lost pets arrive at U.S. shelters as strays each year.

"A micro-chip is a quick and easy way to help ensure your pets' safety," said Stephanie Sikorski, interim director for Animal Services. "Unfortunately, less than 10 percent of the 11,000 animals that enter our facility each year are ever reclaimed. Our goal is to reunite pets and their owners and eliminate the 'lost pet' signs you see in parks, newspapers and around town."

Pets of all species, breeds and ages can be microchipped. Small pets must be in a pet carrier, and dogs must be on a leash. The cost is $10 per pet, which includes the microchip and registration with AVID's PETrac Recovery Network.

Getting a microchip for your pets helps protect them should they go missing. Pet ID tags can fall off or be removed. Microchips provide your pet with a simple and permanent form of identification. The microchip (about the size of a grain of rice) is inserted by a trained professional below the pet's skin, generally between the shoulder blades. The process takes only a few seconds and is relatively painless for your pet. Each microchip is encoded with a unique number that will be kept on file with AVID's PETrac Recovery Network. Once a lost pet arrives at an animal shelter or veterinary clinic, a handheld scanner is used to identify the unique number on the implanted microchip, and then owner is identified and contacted.

Here are some tips from Animal Services to help prevent your pet from becoming lost.

· Tags save lives – Always keep current identification and rabies tags on your pet’s collar. Update the information if you move or your phone number changes.

· Permanent ID – Have your local veterinarian or Animal Services microchip your pet as a backup should the collar or tags become lost.

· Spay or neuter your pet – This reduces an animal’s tendency to roam and has many other health benefits for your pet.

· Secure your property – Fence your yard and routinely check for new escape routes. Be sure to keep gates locked as well.

· Safe transportation – Leash your dog when you take it off your property. Always transport your cat in a carrier.

· Have photos ready – Always keep a current photo of your pet handy for identification purposes (both close-ups and full body shots).

If you do lose your pet, take the following steps:

· Contact local animal shelter and animal control agencies.

· Search the neighborhood.

· Advertise by posting fliers.

· Check the lost and found column in local papers.

· Inform your veterinarian that your pet is missing.

· Be wary of pet-recovery scams.

· Don’t give up your search. Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

The Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides support to the homeless animals in the care of the ASC. The ASC is operated and maintained by the City's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department. For more information on the Animal Service Center, call the 891-2950 or visit Talgov.com/animals.