Alexander County Animal Services is pleased to announce the placement of two new microchip scanning stations in the community, with a third station coming soon.
The scanning stations are designed to give residents another resource when they find a lost pet. By providing convenient access to a microchip scanner, community members may be able to identify whether a found dog or cat has a microchip and help begin the process of reuniting that pet with its owner.
Microchips can play an important role in getting lost pets home, but access to a scanner is often limited after normal business hours of the animal shelter or veterinary offices. These community scanning stations are intended to help bridge that gap.
Animal Services’ goal is to give the public another tool to help lost pets get home as quickly as possible. Every pet that can be reunited directly with its family is a pet that may never have to enter the shelter.
The stations contain a microchip scanner along with instructions for its use. The signage at each station also includes a QR code that provides quick access to additional lost-and-found resources. By scanning the QR code, residents can access tools to look up a microchip number, log an animal as found, and find helpful tips and information for lost and found pets.
If a microchip is detected, the scanner will display the pet’s unique microchip identification number. Residents can then use the QR code and available online resources to help identify the microchip company and begin the process of locating the pet’s registered owner.
The first two community microchip scanning stations are located at:
• Alexander County Library – Main Branch
77 1st Ave SW, Taylorsville
The microchip scanning station is located on a signpost near the sidewalk.
• Alexander County Library – Stony Point Branch
431 Ruritan Park Rd, Stony Point
The microchip scanning station is located on the front of the building, under the Senior Center sign.
A third community scanning station is planned and will be announced once it is available.
The community scanning stations are an additional resource and do not replace the services already provided by Alexander County Animal Services. Animal Services will continue to scan dogs and cats that are impounded and will make efforts to identify and locate their owners. Members of the public who find a dog or cat may also contact Animal Services, and an Animal Control Officer can respond to scan the animal for a microchip.
Residents are reminded that finding a microchip is only part of the process. A microchip contains an identification number — not the owner’s personal information — and the chip must be properly registered with current contact information for it to be most effective.
Pet owners are encouraged to make sure their pets are microchipped and, just as importantly, to keep their microchip registration information up to date, particularly after a move or change in phone number.
The community scanning stations are another part of Alexander County Animal Services’ efforts to increase pet reunifications, reduce unnecessary shelter intake, and provide residents with practical tools to help lost pets get back home as quickly as possible.
For additional information about the microchip scanning stations, assistance with a found pet, or to request help from an Animal Control Officer, contact Alexander County Animal Services at 828-632-1199.