The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government’s Animal Services Department has installed three public microchip scanning stations in the community. These stations are intended to make it easier for people who find stray pets to scan for a microchip and help reunite them with their owners without needing to visit a shelter or veterinary clinic.
Pet microchips are small devices placed under the animal’s skin that store a unique identification number. This number is linked to the owner’s contact information in a national database, allowing for quicker reunification if a pet becomes lost.
Animal Services Director Kristall Barber said, “We’re excited about providing residents with an easier way to try and quickly locate the family of a pet they find at any time of day, even if we’re closed. Residents won’t have to involve Animal Services in the process unless they want to do so, an animal doesn’t have a microchip, or a pet’s microchip information isn’t current.”
The scanning stations are located at Athens-Clarke County Animal Services on Buddy Christian Way, Memorial Park’s dog park on Gran Ellen Drive, and Southeast Clarke Park’s Wiggley Field dog park on Whit Davis Road. The station at Animal Services is available at all hours, while those in parks can be accessed during regular park operating times. Instructions for using the scanners are posted at each station.
If a microchip is found on an animal, reunification with the owner can often happen quickly without bringing the pet to the shelter. This helps Animal Services dedicate more resources to animals with greater needs.
Animal Services also holds events to provide public microchipping services. These include checking for existing chips, implanting new ones, registering them, and updating owner information. In October, these services will be offered every Sunday from noon to 3:00 PM at the Animal Services facility.
More information is available at www.accgov.com/microchip or by calling 706-613-3540.
