Anna MacNeil-Allcock
InfoStream Guest Author
The little dog from
Prince Rupert, B.C. is HomeSafe (or one of a million)
Wandering alone and homeless on the outskirts of Prince
Rupert, B.C., the little brown dog was not aware of how his life was about to
change for the better. The BC SPCA gathered him up and began the routine
search for some type of identification. He had no tag, no tattoo, and when they
got him back to the shelter, the microchip scanner found nothing. Little did
they know that this little brown dog would be a milestone in the world of pet
identification.
Meanwhile in Vancouver, a professional couple were
finally ready to bring a dog into their lives. Using the BC SPCA website,
Zsuzsanna Hollander was able to learn about all of the dogs for adoption in
B.C.
She fell in love with the little brown dog in
Prince Rupert and she booked a flight to meet him face-to-face. When
asked, ‘what is the rush?’ She replied, ‘he is looking for a family and we are
looking for a dog, why wait?’
The BC SPCA found Zsuzsanna to be a perfect match
for the little dog but stressed that identification is a priority for him since
he had already been lost once in his young life.
As Zsuzsanna stepped off the plane with the newly
named Cocoa, she was stepping into the world of pet ownership.
Keeping
him safe and sound required some preventative steps. For example,
A
plethora of information is involved in keeping Cocoa safe and sound.
First he had numerous identification numbers attached
to him, such as a license number registered with the city, a tattoo number
registered with the veterinary clinic and a microchip number registered with
the microchipping company.
Second, his veterinarian numbers and medical
information need to be easily accessible by all his care providers like the
doggie daycare, pet sitter, or dog walking service to keep him safe in an
emergency.
With
all this in mind Zsuzsanna opted to register Cocoa with PetLynx.Net, a database system that holds all his information
securely and helps search for him if he were ever lost. Little did she know
that Cocoa was the One Millionth pet
to be registered with PetLynx.Net
Cocoa’s
PetLynx Profile includes all of his identification information (license number,
tattoo and microchip number, photograph and written description of unique
physical characteristics) as well as the contact numbers for his service
providers (Veterinarian, Dog Walker, Dog Sitter and Doggie Daycare and
pertinent medical information (allergies, medications, or conditions).
“This is an important milestone that reflects the
growth of a mindful pet owning society," said Veterinarian Drew VanNiekirk, president
of PetLynx.
Cocoa
wears a little green tag on his collar with the PetLynx website and his PetLynx
ID Number. If he is separated from Zsuzsanna, whomever finds him can fill in a ‘Found
Report’ on the site, and Zsuzsanna will automatically receive an email.
Until he is found, the PetLynx system will
automatically search for reports of dogs with similar geographical and physical
details. The automated HomeSafe system sees more than 2000 pets returned to
owner every month. In total, 300,000.
If Cocoa were to lose his collar and tag, the system will still acknowledge and
highlight any Found Reports matching the physical description and location
where he was last seen.
"This milestone deserves a celebration," said Larry Evans, business director of PetLynx. "It reflects positive changes in
the status of pets in our society. With more than one million pets in the
system, it makes sense for humane societies to check PetLynx when they find
stray animals."
To celebrate, Zsuzsanna and Cocoa will be presented
with a number of gifts from Canadian members of the Alliance for Urban Animals;
PetLynx, Pets Plus Us pet insurance, Tisol gift certificate, and Kijiji.
