PRESS RELEASE

Weekend Microchipping Blitz A Huge Success:
3,700 Pets Chipped During the 3-Day Blitz

NEW ORLEANS, LA (07/23/2008) - The weekend microchipping blitz that concluded on Sunday afternoon at the Louisiana SPCA was a huge success by all accounts with 3,700 animals receiving complimentary microchipping and registration generously provided by HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network.

During the weekend of July 18-July 20, HomeAgain hosted an area wide complimentary microchipping at four locations – Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter’s East Bank and West Bank locations, Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society in Belle Chasse, and the Louisiana SPCA. At the LA/SPCA alone, over 1,200 cats and dogs were microchipped.

LA/SPCA reported that the flow of people taking advantage of the complimentary microchipping on Saturday and Sunday was non-stop, and a heavy downpour on Saturday afternoon did not deter the crowds. “We had an incredible turnout of people with their pets,” said Ana Zorrilla, LA/SPCA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We were very excited to see the large crowds that came out this weekend. It tells us that the message of how important it is to have current ID on pets at all times is being heard,” said Zorrilla. “In the aftermath of Katrina, our community experienced the pain of never being reunited with a lost pet, and they recognize the benefits of microchipping.”

HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network donated all the microchips and the registrations. Representatives of HomeAgain were highly gratified by the success of the event. This is the largest effort of this type that HomeAgain has undertaken with multiple sites and days. "We were happy to sponsor this program for the people and pets of New Orleans," said Steve Shell, General Manager of HomeAgain. "Whether a pet goes missing because of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, or a gate is inadvertently left open, permanent identification and enrollment in a national database is critical to reuniting pets and owners. At HomeAgain, it is our mission to save pets lives and microchipping and enrolling in the HomeAgain database makes it possible for us to support our shelter and veterinary partners to do just that."

The LA/SPCA urges all pet owners to ensure that their pets are armed with identification at all times.
A collar and ID tag with your name, current phone number and address combined with a microchip is critical to being reunited with your lost pet. Thousands of lost pets end up at shelters or may even be found by neighbors, but without identification they are never reunited with their owners.

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