News release from Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control:
Microchips now being offered to the public for owned animals!
(Feburary 1, 2016) – In an effort to return as many lost pets home as possible, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control will now be offering Microchips to the public. The cost of the microchip for your owned pet will be $15. Proof of rabies vaccination and owner I.D. will be required.
The microchip program, instituted in 1995 at Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control has been a successful tool in returning lost pets to their owners. In 2015 Animal Care & Control issued 2,615 microchips. FWACC hopes to increase that number by offering microchips to the public. In the past, only pets that found their way to the shelter were microchipped upon being returned to their owner, adopted or transferred to another adoption program or facility.
Amy-Jo Sites, Director of Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control said : “This is a really exciting opportunity we have opened to pet owners. A microchip could ensure your pets safe return home. We are encouraging citizens of Fort Wayne and Allen County to bring in their pet to be microchipped. Once the correct contact information is logged into our database, officers finding animals in the field have the option of taking them home versus bringing them to the shelter. Fifteen dollars is a small price to pay for permanent identification and peace of mind.”
A microchip is a small implant placed just under the skin of an animal that relays information through a scanner. This permanent form of identification, when kept updated, results in a 75% greater chance your pet will be returned home. (according to national microchip statistics, AVMA – American Veterinary Medical Association)
No appointment will be needed, owners can simply bring their pets (dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a carrier) to Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control located at 3020 Hillegas. Business hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 11am-5:30pm and Wednesday 11am-7pm. The process only takes a couple of minutes and does not ‘hurt’ the pet in any way.
* city dogs and cats must be registered with Animal Care & Control by the time they are five months old? Registrations can be obtained through the shelter, local veterinary clinics, HOPE for Animals and the Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic. Owners may choose between lifetime and annual pet registrations. For quick and easy registration, we now offer them online – simply visit fwacc dot org and click on the “permits” link. A registration tag will be issued and should be attached to your pet’s collar for quick identification should your pet ever become lost.
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