WILMINGTON — The local police department and a nonprofit have paired up in order to facilitate lost pets being reunited with their owners.
Heidi’s Hope for Homeless Animals’ Pet Food Bank and Wilmington Police Department have launched a new initiative: installing a microchip scanning station at the department’s downtown headquarters.
According to a release from the agencies, roughly 10 million pets go missing in the nation each year. The station at WPD headquarters on Bess Street is the first of many planned for New Hanover County and aims to reduce numbers locally.
The station allows people to scan a pet’s microchip in order to find its family. The person using it pushes a button to turn on the scanner and follows the directions to detect the microchip on the animal.
“By making microchip scanning easily accessible, we aim to keep pets out of shelters and reduce overcrowding, providing a vital service for pet owners and the community,” according to the press release.
If a lost pet does not have a microchip, the station also offers advice on next steps a person can take.
WPD and Heidi’s Hope have paired up before by helping Hurricane Helene victims in the western portion of the state. They delivered 40,000 pounds of pet food and other supplies to the affected areas.
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