Reunited: shelter celebrates the power of microchipping

Glenfield Road Animal Shelter is celebrating a month-long spree of heartwarming family reunions thanks to microchipping.

Wagga Wagga City Council’s Animal Welfare Supervisor Julie McPhail said three joyous family reunions in the last month serves as a reminder of the importance of microchipping and lifetime registering your furry family members.

“Coco the cat was found by a member of the community, brought into the shelter, and scanned for a microchip,” Ms McPhail said.

“After looking up her details and then contacting the owner's phone number registered to her microchip, I was greeted with tears of joy and one very excited family on the other end of the phone.

“Coco had been missing for 18 months and the owner had since relocated to Queensland.

A member of Coco’s family happily collected her from the shelter, and they are now making travel plans so Coco can reunite with her family.

“Similarly Little Blue, another cat, was brought into us and scanned for a microchip – a beep was heard,” Ms McPhail said.

“We contacted her owners, who had since moved from their previous address close to where Little Blue was found, four years since she went missing.”

Microchipping your pets greatly increases the chances of being reuniting with them if they become lost.

Microchipping is a quick, safe and simple procedure in which a vet or Glenfield Road Animal Shelter staff implants a chip the size of a rice grain under the skin of the animal.

Each chip has a unique number which, when scanned, links to a database that includes important information such as the owner’s contact details.

“Wagga Wagga City Council supports responsible pet ownership, so we have always strongly advocated for microchipping,” Ms McPhail said.

“Not only is microchipping and lifetime registration a legal requirement for all pet owners, if your cat or dog goes missing, a microchip is its phone call home.

“If someone steals your dog, a microchip is your proof that it is in fact your dog.

“Getting your pet microchipped and registered is the best way to give them a safety net in case they’re accidentally let out or wander off.

“It gives you peace of mind knowing that if someone finds them, even if they’ve lost their collar, they’ll still be linked to you and your property.”

A pet is a commitment for life. For more information on how you can support your pet's wellbeing through microchipping, lifetime registration, de-sexing and vaccination, visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/animals