It’s an “off-fur” Voorhees pet owners might not be able to refuse.
On Aug. 15, from noon to 4 p.m., the Animal Welfare Association and the Voorhees Animal Orphanage are teaming up to hold “Voorhees Pet Day,” a day in which the two shelters will provide 150 residents (75 per shelter) with one free pet microchip for their pets.
During the event, residents can bring their pets to the AWA, 509 Centennial Blvd., or the VAO, 421 Cooper Road, and have one free pet microchip implanted into their pet.
During that time, the two shelters will also provide the free service of scanning of existing microchips in pets to ensure the pet’s registration information is up to date.
“Voorhees Pet Day” coincides with “National Check the Chip Day,” a now annual, national event originally started in 2013 by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association.
The two national groups started the event to help encourage pet owners to have their pets implanted with microchips and to keep their pets’ registration information up to date.
To qualify for one free microchip at the Voorhees shelters, each resident will need to present proof of Voorhees Township residency. Those residents who require more than one microchip can purchase additional chips at a discounted rate of $15. Those who live outside Voorhees can also attend this event to have their pets scanned and micro-chipped for a discounted fee of $18.
Pet microchips are electronic chips enclosed in glass containers about the size of a grain of rice. The chips are implanted just under the skin with a needle, usually between the shoulder blades, a process that requires no anesthesia. The chips have no batteries, and are only activated through radio waves sent out by a scanner passed over the area where the chip is implanted.
If a pet is lost and scanned, the chip will transmit a unique identification number to the scanner, which can than be checked against a pet microchip database that will then relate registration information the pet owner provided at the time of implanting the chip.
Pet microchips are not global positioning systems, and are only useful if registration information is up to date, which leads to the dual purpose of National Check the Chip Day.
Dawn Mason, operations director for the VAO, said the shelter is thrilled to be working with the AWA to help provide Voorhees residents with such a valuable tool.
“When we get a stray dog in, nine times out of 10, if the dog is micro-chipped, we’re able to reunite the dog with the owner, so a microchip is a great tool to help people,” she said.
In a press release, AWA Executive Director Maya Richmond also said pet microchips are a great way to reunite lost pets with their owners.
“One in three pets gets lost at some point in their lives, and 90 percent of lost pets without any identification never make it home,” Richmond said. “Since collars and tags can break off, a microchip is a security device for the pet and their owner.”
Richmond said the AWA was very pleased to team with VAO to help keep Voorhees pets safe and with their families.
Voorhees Pet Day will be funded by Voorhees Township, and the AWA and VAO thank the municipality for its support of animal welfare.
For more information about the AWA event location, call (856) 424–2288 or visit www.awanj.org.
For more information about the VAO event location, call (856) 627–9111 or visit www.vaonj.org.
