The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV), the only shelter in Washtenaw County and Plymouth for stray animals, has seen a significant decrease in the number of animals returned to owners this year. Only 43 percent of lost dogs are being repatriated, and many come in without tags or microchips, or have incorrect information. Lack of identification is an ongoing problem for cats, as well.

            HSHV CEO Tanya Hilgendorf says, “We believe our first job is to get animals back to the loving families they already have. Animals can’t tell us their address or their mom’s name. Microchips that result in hundreds of family reunions here at HSHV are safe, inexpensive and usually last a lifetime.” HSHV also reminds people if they find or lose an animal to immediately make a report.

            Owners can get their pets microchipped at any veterinary office or for $20 at monthly HSHV low-cost vaccine clinics. Microchips are not GPS-enabled and cannot do location tracking, but help identify ownership. Tags are encouraged, although sometimes are torn off when pets scale fences or other terrain.

To make pet lost and found reports, visit hshv.org/lostandfound or call 734-661-3545.