Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
When a black long-haired cat was brought to Helping Hands Humane Society in Topeka recently as a stray, the admissions counselors there thought it would be another usual day at the shelter—yet another lost cat with no tags or microchip to help a loving family come to reclaim her.
Many dogs are microchipped, and lots of lost dogs are reclaimed by their owners, but stray cats are much less likely to have identification or be picked up by families.
Employees scanned for a microchip just in case, and found that she had one! Even better, the contact information was up to date. Soon they were speaking to a family in Denver, Colorado, who had been missing their cat, named Loki.
No one has any idea how Loki made it all the way from Denver to Topeka, a trip of 540 miles, but she hitched a ride back home on an RV bound for Denver. In this circumstance, a family friend of an HHHS employee was able to transport the missing kitty back to her hometown.
When pets cross state borders, they have to have a health certificate from a Veterinarian, and the reclaiming process was completed long-distance since the family didn’t have the resources to come all the way to Topeka.
“Microchipping is so, so important,” said Margaret Price, HHHS’s Manager of Admissions. “These animals can’t talk to us to tell us their name, Mom’s phone number, or their address. A microchip can do all that for them. Please consider getting your cats and dogs microchipped. If they already are, do a yearly ‘chip check ‘at HHHS or your vet’s office to make sure it’s still there and working, and always make sure to update your contact information with the microchip company if you move or change phone numbers. These steps can make all the difference when it comes to getting your furbabies back if they are ever lost.”
Anybody can come to the HHHS Admissions Lost & Found to have their pet microchipped for a cost of $40. Hours are 9:30am-6pm Mondays-Saturdays, and 9:30am-5pm Sundays. There are sometimes lower fee microchip specials at HHHS, so keep an eye on their website and social media for those announcements.
For more information visit the website at www.hhhstopeka.org.
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