By KRISTIE LINDEN
Lost pets may have an easier time reuniting with their owners in Monessen thanks to a donation from Mon Valley Paws.
In conjunction with National Pet Theft Awareness Week, which runs through Sunday, Mon Valley Paws donated a universal microchip scanner to the Monessen Police Department.
The scanner will help officers who encounter lost, stolen or stray dogs check for microchips before calling Hoffman’s Kennels or the Humane Society. The hope is that it will get animals home to their families much faster.
Monessen Capt. Dave Yuhasz said sometimes when dogs get away from their owners, they also slip their collars or they may run out of the house without a collar on so their tags aren’t always there to provide information.
“This way, we’ll be able to scan the dog and read the chip and further investigate who is the owner of the dog,” Yuhasz said.
He said often people who encounter lost pets rely on social media to attempt to reunite them with their owners, but some people don’t use social media.
“The scanner is a way to get a step closer to reuniting the pet back with its owner,” Yuhasz said.
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