Austin Offers Free Microchip I.D. for Your Pets
- Written by Chase Martin
- Read 1190 times
The City of Austin’s Animal Services Office kicks off a citywide program offering residents of Austin and Travis County free pet I.D. tags and microchips to help keep pets out of the animal shelter system.
The free I.D. tags, collars and HomeAgain Microchips will be offered to all pet owners in the community from 11 AM to 7 PM daily at the Austin Animal Center in Central East Austin at 7201 Levander Loop. Partial funding for this program is being supported by a grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In 2011, Austin achieved a 91 percent live animal outcome rate for the entire year, making it the first major urban city in Texas to do so.
Last year, 7,000 stray dogs ended up at the animal shelter and only 30 percent of those were reunited with their families. Many animals arrive in good health and with collars on, suggesting that it is some person’s missing pet. Without any identification on the pet there is no way to notify the owners. The animals wait the legally required three-day holding period and then move through the shelter system.
“What most people don’t realize is that after the three-day holding period the pet is available for adoption,” Chief Animal Services Officer Abigail Smith said. “People can’t afford to sit and wait to see if their pet comes home on their own, they need to visit the shelter or check the web site right away. If pets have identification on them they most likely can avoid the shelter all together.”
If a pet is lost, owners should call 3-1-1 right away and check the Animal Center’s website for a picture of the lost animal. Tips to locate a lost pet include placing fliers in neighborhoods; and posting information on social media outlets and on lost pet websites such as www.lostfoundpets.us.
The Austin Animal Center is open from 11 AM to 7 PM daily. More information about Austin Animal Services programs can be found at www.AustinAnimalCenter.org or by calling 3-1-1 for animal issues after hours or visit the Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/austinanimalservices.
Chase Martin
Creative Director & Founder, therepubliq.com
Director, Marketing/Promotions & Co-Founder, The OUTlander Project
Producer, OutCast Austin
Austin, Texas
Chase is the founder and Creative Director of therepubliq.com and co-founder and Director, Marketing & Promotions of The OUTlander Project. He is also a producer and engineer for OutCast Austin, an award-winning LGBT weekly radio program on KOOP 91.7 FM in Austin. In 2011, he was named the Critics Pick for 'Most Gaybiquitous' in the Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin.
Additionally, Chase runs PlanetChase, LLC, a consulting firm providing a variety of business development services including web development, marketing, branding, technology to small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs; as well as meeting planning services for the financial services industry.
On his spare time, Chase has volunteered with local organizations including AIDS Services of Austin, the Octopus Club, the Austin Gay Basketball League and Volleyball Austin. In 2007, he was appointed by then-Austin Mayor Will Wynn to serve on the Austin Area Comprehensive HIV Planning Council where he served as the chairperson of the Community Access & Nominations committee.