STLLostPets.org will provide a free online database of animals that are brought to shelters run by the Humane Society of Missouri, the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, and St. Louis County Animal Care and Control.
The database includes photos of the dogs and cats and information about each animal's age and breed, so pet owners can easily locate their pets if they are brought to one of the organizations' shelters.
"Our three agencies combined take in 90 percent of animals coming into shelters in the St. Louis area, so if you have a lost pet, there is a good chance they are at one of our shelters," said Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri.
Previously, the Humane Society and APA had separate lost and found databases.
"Before this website was developed, pet owners would visit multiple websites to see if their lost pet had been found," Warnick said. "Now you can look for your pet with just one click of the mouse."
Residents who lose a dog or cat will also be able to submit a lost pet report on the website. If a cat or dog matching the description of the lost pet is brought into a shelter run by one of the agencies, the pet owner will be informed.
The website also includes information about spaying and neutering pets and microchipping, a process in which a small chip containing information about an animal and its owner is inserted under the animal's skin. According to the website, dogs that have microchips are more than twice as likely to be returned to their owners as those without, and cats with microchips are 20 times more likely to be returned.
To promote microchipping, the three organizations are offering a discount on the procedure through the month of March. Pet owners can bring their pets to the shelter closest to them and have a microchip inserted for $20.
No comments:
Post a Comment