Furry Tails: National Pet ID Week
Every two seconds.
"A family pet is lost every two seconds."
Has your dog ever gotten loose from his leash during a walk in the park? Or maybe your cat has wandered off and not returned home. It's a scary moment… realizing your best friend may be off lost, all by themselves.
They rely on us. We're their humans. And we love them.
You post "Lost" signs, comb the neighborhood calling their name, check the nearby animal shelters and hope that somehow they'll find their way home.
Sometimes they do, but much of the time, they don't.
This week marks National Pet ID Week.
And Pet Supplies Plus stores are trying to help pet owners avoid those scary moments.
All this week, more than 130 locations of the pet store chain around the country, including stores right here in Pittsburgh, will be holding free, in-store microchip clinics.
Here in the Pittsburgh area, the Bethel Park location on Library Road will be hosting one of those clinics on Monday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
"We understand as well as anyone that pets are a member of the family and feel very strongly about the importance of having every pet ID'd. Microchips have been proven as the most effective method to retrieve a lost pet. During National Pet ID Week, we encourage our neighbors to take advantage of this microchip special at their local Pet Supplies Plus to significantly increase the chance that lost pets return home," said store CEO Chris Rowland.
Statistics show that more than 10 million pets are lost each year. And without ID, 90 percent of lost pets will never find their way home.
Here's how the free microchip event works:
Pet Supplies Plus customers making a purchase of $10 or more get a voucher for a free microchip. Those vouchers can be redeemed during a scheduled visit back to the store.
Microchipping your pet is a relatively painless process, officials say. They are the size of a grain of rice and it is inserted just below the skin. All pets microchipped at Pet Supplies Plus stores will be registered with the website, FoundAnimals.org.
For more information: http://www.petsuppliesplus.com/
Don't let your pet turn into a statistic. Anything can happen, and if your pet does get lost, a microchip or ID tag is the best way to make sure your furry best friend will come back to you!
National Pet ID Week runs from April 19-25.
_____________________________________________________
Stay tuned animal lovers for more Furry Tails! You can follow me on Twitter at @HeatherLang24
