GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Police departments throughout Kent County are getting pet microchip scanners to assist officers reunite misplaced pets with their house owners.
The Kent County Animal Shelter is utilizing a part of a $4,700 grant from a neighborhood nonprofit to offer the scanners to native police departments.
Angela Hollinshead, the shelter’s director, stated the concept emerged final yr when a police company picked up a stray canine and introduced it to the animal shelter. The shelter’s workers scanned the animal, discovered it had a microchip and contacted the proprietor.
“We stated, ‘Hey, we’ve your canine on the shelter, we’d love so that you can come and get him,’” Hollinshead recalled. “The gentleman replied, ‘I’m not able to try this, I’ve a transportation barrier.’”
The person lived within the outskirts of the county, Hollinshead stated. Workers later discovered his pet had been recovered simply two doorways down from his residence however was taken all the best way to the animal shelter in Grand Rapids.
“That basically received us pondering, ‘Is there a method we will stop issues like this from taking place?’” she stated. “Is there a device we will put within the palms of native legislation enforcement within the subject earlier than they get transported all the best way to the shelter in Grand Rapids?”
The shelter finally determined to purchase 20 microchip scanners for police departments across the county. A number of the bigger departments acquired a number of scanners — the Grand Rapids Police Division received six, Hollinshead stated — however each division has a minimum of one.
![The Kent County Animal Shelter demonstrates how the device that reads pet microchips works. (Feb. 7, 2024)](https://www.woodtv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2024/02/kcas-pet-microchip-reader-e1707340503849.jpg?w=900)
When police in Kent County discover stray animals, they will now use the device to get them again residence — assuming the animal has a microchip. Officers take the gadget and scan it over the pet’s microchip, which provides them a chip identification quantity. The quantity permits police to contact the producer, which can then get in contact with the proprietor.
“Plenty of instances, legislation enforcement after-hours will run throughout animals which might be injured,” Hollinshead added. “They’ve been hit by automobiles, they’ve been in fights with different animals, so time is of the essence relating to getting these animals assist and care. If we will get them again to their households earlier than anybody else has to make these decisions for them, that’s actually the very best answer for the pet.”
Often, police deliver misplaced canines to the shelter in Grand Rapids. However with the scanners, police can discover the proprietor a lot before that and permit them to select up their pet close by as an alternative of on the shelter.
“It’s a win for the animal shelter as a result of it’s one much less animal we’re having to take care of,” Hollinshead stated. “It’s a win for legislation enforcement as a result of they’re in a position to do an excellent group service to the general public, and it’s a win for the proprietor as a result of they’re not having to overlook their pet or danger not being reunited with it.”
![Dogs at the Kent County Animal Shelter on Feb. 7, 2024.](https://www.woodtv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2024/02/kcas-dogs-2.jpg?w=900)
![Dogs at the Kent County Animal Shelter on Feb. 7, 2024.](https://www.woodtv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2024/02/kcas-dogs-3.jpg?w=900)
![A dog at the Kent County Animal Shelter on Feb. 7, 2024.](https://www.woodtv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2024/02/kcas-dogs-4.jpg?w=900)
Based on the American Veterinary Medical Affiliation, 10 million canines and cats are misplaced or stolen throughout the nation yearly. Its analysis discovered that solely 22% of misplaced canines coming into shelters returned to their households, however that charge jumped to 52% when the canine was microchipped.
“The extra pets which might be in the neighborhood which might be microchipped, the extra alternative we’ve to get them again to their households earlier than legislation enforcement intervention is important and even animal management has to deliver them to the shelter,” Hollinshead stated.
She added that native vets can place microchips. These also can go to the shelter’s web site to find out about microchipping choices, together with at occasions hosted by native nonprofits.