HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – The American Humane Association estimates that one in three pets will go missing during their lifetime.
Around the Valley, to make sure lost pets get home quickly and safely, the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA (RHSPCA) is emphasizing the importance of microchipping.
When an animal is brought into the shelter, they are immediately scanned for a microchip, and if one is not found staff at the shelter will give them a microchip before they are put up for adoption.
The RHSPCA says they perform around 2,000 of the procedures each year and this preventative step is a way for pets who come into or return to the shelter’s care increase their chance of getting home where they belong.
“The best outcomes are when the pets are reunited with their owners even above adoptions. There’s nothing better than the reunification of a family so encourage everyone to get their pets microchipped for the sake of their pets, for the sake of the animals in our community because it helps us free up space faster,” RHSPCA Executive Director Huck Nawaz said.
Nawaz says the shelter is currently nearing the end of kitten season, which normally lasts between May and Sept. This time of year is when staff see an overwhelming amount of cats and litters of kittens brought into the shelter.
RHSPCA is also putting on an adoption special geared toward senior animals. All animals ages 7 and over will have their adoption fees reduced to $7.
For more information on microchipping and adoptable pets at RHSPCA, click here.
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