Publication: The Frederick News-Post;  Date: Jul 20, 2008;  Section: Pets;  Page: B-6


PETS AND PEOPLE
 
AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
 
By DIANA CLEMENT Special to the News-Post
 



    The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Bo the Collie, who was adopted from a shelter as a puppy, has been reunited with his family after five years missing. Bo remembered his family immediately. Bo showed up 75 miles from his original home and his rescuers took him to an animal shelter to have him checked for a microchip. He did, in fact, have a chip and it was registered in the name of the Meoller family who originally adopted him long ago. Pet owners need look for their lost pets in shelters just like Bo’s family, who put up flyers for more than a year.

    These stories are becoming more and more common because of microchips, but they must be registered. A black and white cat was admitted to Frederick County Animal Control Center this spring, where all rescued pets are scanned for chips as part of their admissions exam. This young adult cat had a microchip still registered to the veterinarian who administered the injection that implants the chip. The veterinary office offered to take the cat and find a new home if the owner’s did not appear. Luckily, the owner did come to Frederick County Animal Control Center looking for her lost pet. Hopefully she has already updated the microchip registration.

    Often families who lose a pet expect the pet to come home on his own. Of course, this frequently is exactly what happens. But a delay in visiting the shelter to look for your pet can cost the pet her life by putting them over the five-day limit that shelters offer to animals who appear to be pets but don’t have any identification.

    Frederick County Animal Control keeps healthy, friendly animals for weeks, even months, to assure they receive every opportunity at a new home. Of course doing so keeps the shelter at capacity for most of the year, leaving less room for animals who are given up by people who can no longer care for them and for animals who are severely injured or get sick from exposure to other stray animals.

    Animals with minor disabilities who can be treated will be cared for in hopes that their owners will come in, but these pets may not qualify for adoption, which can cost them their lives later.

    Before you are faced with a lost pet, it’s a good idea to take a picture of your pet you could use on a flyer. Your emergency readiness supplies will come in handy if your pet goes missing: vet records, shelter and vet phone numbers, leash and cage, portable food and water. For pets that may have gotten outdoors, placing a household item where the pet was last seen can encourage the pet to stay there if he returns (a T-shirt, his carrier or cage, a favorite toy.) Giving flyers to UPS, postal carriers and meter readers is also a good idea since they know the neighborhood and may notice pets out unattended.

    If you believe your small pet is lost inside your home, closing all interior doors and placing water or treats in each room overnight can help you decide which area of the house is likely to be the pet’s hiding place — the treats that are eaten are the clue.

    Be sure your pet’s ID tags are up to date and consider a microchip. Register the chip whenever you change phone numbers or addresses and don’t delay looking for a lost pet. Frederick County Animal Control Center is open six days a week but there is an answering machine that allows you to leave your number and a brief description of your missing pet at 301-600-1546. Messages are not picked up until working hours, so arriving at the shelter as soon as possible to claim your pet is important.