LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lieutenant Jai Hamilton with Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control says the office receives 30-40 daily calls. A handful of those calls are often centered around a lost animal. That’s why her office is running a monthly special on microchipping dogs and cats.
“For the month of March we’re doing a microchip special. It’s $15 for a microchip,” she explained before offering a demonstration of how it works on “Bubba,” one of the dogs in their possession.
“The microchip is actually inside the needle and is put under the skin, so it’s quick and easy, and once it’s in, it’s in for life,” she said.
Once that chip is scanned on a lost animal, the scanner will beep and reveal the phone number of the pet's likely owner.
“An officer can scan in the field and try to reunite outside of the shelter,” the lieutenant said, which is a big help to shelters, many running at capacity.
Lt. Hamilton said that only 22% of animals without a microchip are ever reunited with their families, but that number rises to 52% when they are microchipped.
Normally, the Animal Care and Control center here charges $25 for the procedure, so they hope the 10-dollar discount will incentivize pet owners to get it done because Jai has seen it all over the years.
“Fences blow over, workers can leave a gate open, a door wasn’t latched, and the dog was able to get out, or auto accidents where dogs escape cars,” she listed as possible reasons an animal can get lost. “You never know what’s going to happen. So the more information an animal shelter has, it increases the likelihood of an animal being reunited with an owner,” she continued.
That chip contains the most vital information, and that’s why Lexington’s animal control office is offering it for just $15 this month. For more information, click here.
