CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a pioneering move aimed at assisting residents in Northern Kent County, the Kent County Animal Shelter (KCAS) has unveiled Michigan’s first 24-hour microchip scanning station.
Positioned strategically outside the Kent County North Campus in Cedar Springs, the goal is to facilitate the swift reunification of lost pets with their owners.
Helping lost pets get home faster.
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According to Angela Hollinshead, Director of the Kent County Animal Shelter, difficulties in transportation or the need to take time off work often prevent pet owners from reclaiming their lost animals.
“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,” she explained.
The scanning station, housed within a weatherproof and secure casing, provides clear instructions in both English and Spanish.
Too many lost pets staying at the shelter and not being reclaimed.
This initiative forms part of KCAS’s broader mission to enhance the reclaim rate for lost dogs by their owners. Despite a significant increase in stray dogs entering the shelter since 2019, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of owners reclaiming their animals. This has put a burden on KCAS as it has led to the shelter being near or at capacity for the last several months.
To address this issue, KCAS has also embraced new technologies such as QR code dog licenses introduced in 2022, alongside the implementation of microchip scanners.
Law enforcement agencies also received microchip scanners.
Angela Hollinshead emphasized the challenges posed by Kent County’s vast geographical coverage, which often complicates the process of pet reclaiming. To bolster efforts further, KCAS has also distributed twenty pet microchip scanners to law enforcement agencies across the county.
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“We are excited to introduce our 24-hour pet scanning station,” Hollinshead said, which she describes as the first of its kind in Michigan and one of several in the nation. She added, “In the future, we hope to establish more of these stations across Kent County.”
When asked how the reader works and what information is displayed, Hollinshead told Michigan News Source, “When an animal is scanned the microchip reader displays the microchip number. The finder uses the microchip number lookup QR code (or by using the web address provided) to find which company owns the microchip. The finder calls the company, and the company will reach out to the owner, as well as any secondary contacts usually via phone call, text and email.”
Hollinshead added, “There are several different microchip companies, but they generally all use the same process for notifying an owner their lost pet has been found. The reader we use at the station is a universal scanner and can ready many different microchip frequencies.”
Residents are encouraged to license and microchip their pets to ensure swift reunification in case of separation.
2022 statistics for KCAS from the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture that were released in 2023 show that the total intake at the shelter was 1899 dogs and 1525 cats. 617 dogs were returned to owner and only 34 cats. 114 dogs were euthanized and 59 cats. A report for 2023 is expected to come out sometime between June and September.
