National Lost Pet Prevention Month

National Lost Pet Prevention Month began to help educate pet owners on how to help increase the likelihood of a pet being reunited with their family should it get loose. Follow these tips to help increase the number of pets returned to their owners and lessen the number of strays brought to shelters.

• Make sure your pet wears a collar and ID tag at all times—even cats!
• Microchip your pet—readily available at your veterinarian’s office for a small fee
• Check your pet’s microchip is working—ask your vet to scan for a microchip to make sure it can be read or to check if you are unsure if your pet has one
• Update your phone number and address with the microchip company—if a pet comes to a shelter as a stray, the microchip is the first thing to be checked. It’s important that the information attached to that chip is up to date with the microchip company
• Know what to do if your pet gets loose—check with Lost Cats/Dogs of Illinois, create a flyer to hang up near where your pet was last seen, and check with your local animal shelters and Animal Care and Control