Posted: January 22, 2009, 5 a.m. EST
A pet recovery plan that’s dedicated to the safe recovery and identification of lost animals has been found to be seven times more effective than the national average, according to a report released this month by Petland Inc.
The study focused on pets who are part of a microchipping program through Petland, known as the Enhanced Protection Program. The process involves a partnership between the American Kennel Club’s Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR) program and Helpmefindmypet.com.
AKC CAR offers 24-hour Amber Alert-type recovery services for pets who are identified with a microchip, tattoo, or AKC CAR collar tag. Dogs and cats who are microchipped or tattooed can be included in the “Helpmefindmypet” database registry of pets.
The information compared the number of pets lost to the number of pets found through the recovery process from the launching of the program in August 2007 to December 2008. According to the report, lost pets purchased through Petland had an 87 percent recovery rate. That’s 12 percent higher than the national average of lost pets who are not registered in the program, Petland said.
There are more than 72,000 Petland-purchased pets in the program. Throughout January, participating Petland stores across the country will host microchipping clinics to mark National Microchipping Month.
“At a time when animal shelters are receiving lost or unclaimed pets at an alarming rate, the pet industry and pet owners need an effective program that will safely reunite lost pets with their owners, and properly protect and identify pets that go unclaimed,” said Joe Watson, vice president of Petland.