Have your pet microchipped for $10 and pet identification tags made for $3 each this Saturday, July 17 at the Little Shop of Collars booth at the Downtown Saturday Market, 4^th and Maple Streets, Murray. Humane Society of Calloway County volunteers will insert microchips and engrave custom pet identification tags from 8 a.m. to noon.
     Microchips are a permanent way of identifying a dog or cat by implanting a grain-of-rice-sized microchip under the pet’s skin. Almost 3,000 microchips have been place in pets by the Humane Society since their pet identification program began.
     The Humane Society strongly recommends both an identification tag as well as the microchip for your pet.  Statistics indicate that the overwhelming majority of animals that enter shelters have no form of identification which makes it almost impossible to reunite the animal with its caretakers.
      Digital photographs will also be taken of each animal for the Humane Society’s FREE Lost Pet Photo Registry. The photo is kept on file in the unfortunate event that the animal gets lost or separated from its owner. At that time an email alert will be sent to the Humane Society’s Animal Advocate email list of nearly 1,000 people with details on the pet’s disappearance.
     The Humane Society asks that dogs be brought on leashes and cats in carriers.
     To see the Humane Society’s adoptable pets and for more information on pet identification, visit www.forthepets.org, call the Humane Society at 270-759-1884, email humanesociety@murray-ky.net, join us on Facebook or visit our office at 607 Poplar Street Suite A-1.

Microchip IDs reunite pets and their families

     The Humane Society of Calloway County offers microchip ID clinics for dogs and cats regularly throughout the year, primarily in Calloway County and in adjacent counties upon request. Microchipping is a permanent way to identify an animal and can often lead to the return of the animal to its owner in the unfortunate event that the animal gets separated from its owner.  The cost of the chip, implanting the chip and registration in the national database is only $10.
     The microchip is approximately the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the animal’s skin between its shoulder blades.  The life expectancy of the microchip is 25 years. 
     Approximately two dozen Humane Society volunteers are trained on how to inject the microchip and fill out the associated paperwork that accompanies each chip.  The Humane Society has microchipped more than 2000 dogs and cats since the program began in March 2006.
     Statistics indicate that 30% of companion animals will become separated from their owners at some point in their life.  According to Stephanie Hagen, Humane Society coordinator of the microchip program and animal health technologist, “Having a permanent way of identifying the animal is critical because sometimes collars and identification tags will fall off.” 
     The identification number which appears when the pet is scanned is directly linked to the owner of the animal and will give the person scanning the animal enough information to reach the owner. The contact information is kept on file in a national database and can be updated at any time by a phone call or on the Internet.  The microchip used by the Humane Society can be “read” by any scanner used in the United States.
     Humane Society Immediate Past President Tom Rottinghaus said, “The overwhelming majority of animals that enter animal shelters have no identification on them.  It is estimated in Kentucky that 85% of animals that enter animal shelters are euthanized because of overpopulation and not being able to identify the animal’s owner.  We’re trying our best to do something about that and make happy reunions possible for lost pets and their families.”
     For more information on microchip IDs, click here or contact the Humane Society at 270-759-1884 or humanesociety@murray-ky.net.
 

2010 Humane Society Events Calendar

July 17, 2010 (Saturday)
MICROCHIP AND PET ID CLINIC
Downtown Saturday Market, 8 am - 12 p.m., 4th & Maple Streets, Murray, Ky.
- Microchip you pet for $10 each
- Custom pet identification tags engraved for $3 each
- At Little Shoppe of Collars booth
- Click here for more details

September 8, 2010 (Wednesday)
AKC CANINE GOOD CITIZEN DOG OBEDIENCE CLASS
Animal Health Technology Building, 6 pm, College Farm Road, Murray, Ky.
- For dogs six months and over when the class begins
- Eight consecutive weeks
- PURPOSE: To help dogs become good citizens of the community
- FEE: $70 for non-members, $50 for members
- Click here for more details

September 8, 2010 (Wednesday)
AKC S.T.A.R. PUPPY TRAINING
Animal Health Technology Building, 6 pm, College Farm Road, Murray, Ky.
- For puppies eight weeks to thirty weeks old when class begins
- Seven consecutive weeks
- PURPOSE: To get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start
- FEE: $70 for non-members, $50 for members
- Click here for more details