New 24-Hour Microchip Scanning Station Will Help Residents Reunite Lost Pets with Owners in Northern Kent County
Grand Rapids, MI (April 3, 2024) - The Kent County Animal Shelter (KCAS) has launched a first-of-its-kind in Michigan 24-hour microchip scanning station to assist residents in reuniting with their lost pets. The scanner is strategically located outside the Kent County North Campus in Cedar Springs. This site was chosen specifically to alleviate transportation challenges faced by Northern Kent County residents when retrieving their pets from shelters.
"Transportation to the shelter or time off work are often reasons owners are unable to come for their pets, added Hollinshead. "The ability for the community in the northern part of the county to use 24-hour microchip identification for reuniting pets before they are taken to the shelter will assist us in keeping families and pets together."
Housed in a weatherproof, secure casing, the scanning station has written instructions available on the wall in both English and Spanish with detailed information:
1. Turn on the scanner by pressing the OK button.
2. Hold down the READ button on the scanner and ensure the display reads "Reading" while scanning over the pet, keeping the READ button depressed throughout.
3. Start at the pet’s head and move slowly side-to-side, making "S" shaped passes over each area, including legs, neck, chest, and behind the front legs.
4. If the scanner beeps and displays numbers then the pet has a microchip; take a photo with your cell phone for reference.
5. Always check the microchip enrollment on petmicrochiplookup.com and call the provided number to determine the pet's owner.
This initiative is part of KCAS's broader objective to improve the reclaim rate for lost dogs by their owners. Despite a nearly 200% increase in stray dogs entering the shelter since 2019, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of owners coming to get their animals from the shelter. This has resulted in the shelter being near or at capacity for the last several months. The KCAS has adopted new technology such as QR code dog licenses in 2022, and now the implementation of microchip scanners, to address this issue.
"The animal shelter is responsible for the care and housing of stray animals across all 847 square miles of Kent County," said Kent County Animal Shelter Director Angela Hollinshead. "With such a large geographical coverage area, this creates barriers for owners to get their pets back if they end up at shelter."
The KCAS has further bolstered its efforts by providing twenty pet microchip scanners to law enforcement agencies across Kent County.
"After recently donating microchip scanners to our local law enforcement agencies, we are excited to introduce our 24-hour pet scanning station," concluded Hollinshead. "This site will be the first in Michigan and only one of several in the nation. In the future we are hoping to build more of these stations and place them around the Kent County."
Residents can help ensure they are reunited with their pet, if they ever go missing, by having their dog licensed and microchipped. Learn more at accesskent.com/KCAS.
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KCAS Director Angela Hollinshead will be available for interviews today, Wednesday, afternoon/evening, Thursday morning until 10:00am, or on Friday between 1:30 - 2:30pm. Please contact Angela directly to coordinate an interview time.
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