Tagless pets are hard to find
JOBURG – Lost animals can not speak for themselves, and therefore rely on their owners to ensure they can be found.
Most of us understand the heartbreak that comes with the disappearance of a pet, however, there are ways that can help ensure your beloved animal does not disappear for long.
Mandy Cattanach, manager and senior inspector at the Roodepoort SPCA said the first thing responsible owners should consider, is to provide their pets with some form of identification, for example a microchip or ID disk.
Adora Maddison, receptionist at Struben’s Valley Veterinary Clinic added, “The vet pushes for pets to have microchips inserted as pets can easily lose their collars.”
At Struben’s Valley Veterinary Clinic, a microchip implant costs R220. However, this can vary as you can implant a different make of microchip which costs more or less and is either a once-off or monthly payment.
Linden Veterinary Clinic’s receptionist, Cait Tuffin said, “Implanting a microchip is a quick process. The chip is inserted between the shoulder blades and is about the size of a grain of rice. Every vet has a scanning device to check the chip number which will then correspond with the owner’s details on a central data base.”
Cattanach further advised to ensure your property is securely enclosed and pets do not run out an open gate, or try and flee from loud noise caused by thunderstorms or fireworks. Even sterilisation is a precautionary measure, as a female cat or dog in season can cause havoc with male dogs and cats that can go to extremes to get out of their properties to find the female in season. It is important to keep your cat confined indoors for at least a week after you have moved, so they can get acquainted with the new property and not run away.
If your pet does go missing:
- Regularly visit all SPCA kennels, animal shelters and veterinarian clinics in your area
- Make a poster with the lost pet’s photograph and your contact details
- Leave the poster at all SPCAs and complete a lost form with as many details as possible
- Leave the poster at all animal shelters, veterinarian clinics, grooming parlours, place them on notice boards at local shopping centers and in post boxes in your area.
Shandelle Gordon, receptionist at Victory Park Veterinary Clinic, said lost pets brought into the veterinary clinic, is a regular occurrence. It is a standard procedure that vets take in lost animals and give them shelter for around a week before they are moved to a local SPCA or animal shelter.
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Cats are treated well at the Roodepoort SPCA
