Tag Archives: Stray holding facilties

Update on House Bill 4029

On April 29, 2015 Lost Dogs Illinois wrote a plea to our LDI Fans to support House Bill 4029, which would support more reunions of lost dogs with their families.

We are happy to report that the Bill 4029 has passed.

This bill requires shelters and rescues (the same as animal control facilities) to scan intake animals for a microchip multiple times before releasing the animal. It also includes veterinary clinics and hospitals that provide this same service to do the same.

The bill also requires that if the first person listed on the microchip cannot be contacted, the shelter must notify the second contact if one is listed. Also, shelters must notify the owner when they are identified and transfer dogs with identified owners to a local animal control or law enforcement agency for the animal to be reclaimed. If they cannot transfer the animal, they must hold the animal for at least 7 days prior to removing the animal.

Thank you to Senator Thomas Cullerton, the key sponsor of the bill.

Inspector General Report – Cook County Animal and Rabies Control

After hearing taxpayer’s complaints and experiences as well as the concerns of Lost Dogs Illinois with Cook County Animal And Rabies Control (CCRAC); Commissioner John Fritchey filed for the Cook County Inspector General to do an investigative report on CCARC.

We are pleased with most of what the Inspector General has recommended. If implemented, these recommendations should help more lost pets be reunited with their families. We are still concerned about the disparity of fees and holding periods among the municipalities.

For you review, this is IG Audit report Cook County

Here are Lost Dogs Illinois blogs about how difficult it is to find your lost dog in Cook County.

Where Oh Where Could My Lost Dog Be Held in Cook County

Part 2 – Where Oh Where Could My Lost Dog Be Held in Cook County

Please be the voice for owners and their lost dogs. Everyone who is a Cook County resident please contact their County Commissioner and the Cook County President. Demand that change is needed!

Toni Preckwinkle, President – (312) 603-6400

Cook County Government – click on Government – County Commissioners are listed.

Together we will get more lost dogs home.

Pictures Matter!

The one thing Lost dogs Illinois has proven time after time on our page is pictures work in getting lost dogs home! Pictures are the universal language.

Point in case…… A match was made this week on the unofficial Animal Welfare League (AWL) – Found/Stray Dogs Facebook Page, which is run by a group of volunteers who absolutely understand the importance of posting found dog pictures. When a volunteer is able to get to AWL, she tries to post pictures of “found” animals to the page.

The match was Pepe, a 19 year old Chihuahua, who was posted as lost on Lost Dogs Illinois Facebook page on July 28^th.

Pepe’s found dog picture was posted on AWL’s unofficial page on August 3^rd even though Pepe was brought to Animal Welfare League on July 30^th.

Luckily one of LDI’s fans recognized Pepe and emailed his owner right away. A very Happy Reunited was made!

So what do we learn from this? If there was an official Facebook page or if AWL would use the Pet Harbor software to post found dog photos (like they use for their adoption photos), Pepe would have probably been home by August 1^st. This would have meant less stress for Pepe, Pepe’s family, other dogs in the shelter, volunteers and staff. It would have also been less of financial strain for Pepe’s family and the shelter.

We hope successful reunions like Pepe will convince Animal Welfare League to post pictures on Pet Harbor or their own official Facebook page. Technology has made it so simple – a cell phone can be used to upload photos directly to Facebook. Don’t our Illinois dogs deserve the very best chance to get back home to their families?

Animal Welfare League (Chicago) Sends Mixed Message on Their Policy about Found Dogs

If you have read our blog To Hold or Not To Hold, you will know that we are trying to find out if there is an Illinois law that states that once a stray holding facility scans a dog for a microchip it is required to hold the dog; even though the finder will provide safe shelter for the dog until the owners are found.

Animal Welfare League is sending out mixed messages on their policy. Below is the screenshot from a finder who took a found dog to Animal Welfare League to be scanned for a microchip and then had to relinquish the dog.

Yet, on the Animal Welfare League website (see below), they provide helpful information and guidelines for if you decide to keep the dog in your home until you find the owners.

This mixed message is confusing to the public, the owners and the finders. In order to facilitate more successful reunions between lost pets and people, we need the stray holding facilities to provide a clear, consistent message about their policies and practices.

The Microchip Maze – Searching the Databases- (Part 2)

UPDATE – Since we wrote this article, 24 Petwatch has now begun to participate in the AAHA database. AVID is now the only large microchip company that does not participate.

Your microchipped lost pet has been picked up and turned into a vet or shelter. He should be home quickly, correct? Well…. not so fast. In Part 1, we explained how the 900 prefix chips are very difficult to identify, thereby delaying or preventing a successful reunion. We also explained how sticking with one of the Big 5 microchip companies was the best chance your lost pet has to get home.

In this section, we’ll discuss the different microchip databases and how to navigate them. Each of the Big 5 microchip companies (PetLink, Home Again, AKC Reunite, 24 Petwatch and AVID) maintain their own databases. When a pet is microchipped and enrolled the information is stored in their database (a fee may be required). Each of these Big 5 companies also has a unique prefix making it fairly easy to identify the manufacturer of the chip if your vet or shelter has a “cheat sheet” like this handy.

But if the finder of the dog doesn’t have this cheat sheet, they can still be forced to call all five companies until they find the right one. This can waste valuable time.

To expedite reunions, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) created the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool (see screenshot below). This is an internet-based application that enables veterinarians, shelters, animal control facilities, pet owners or the public to search various registries and identify those registries on which a particular microchip is registered.

The AAHA Pet Microchip Lookup Tool works by checking the databases of the participating microchip companies to determine what company has registration information available for a microchip. Click this link to see which microchip companies participate.

Simply enter the microchip number into the tool and it will pull up the information. When an enrolled chip number is entered the following information will quickly appear on the screen:

Sounds simple, right? But wait! Not all of the Big 5 companies allow the AAHA tool to access their databases. PetLink, Home Again and AKC Reunite do. AVID and 24 Petwatch do not. By NOT participating it leaves 100’s of 1000’s of microchips vulnerable. HOW? If an organization is enrolling ALL the different types microchips they get in, ( i.e. a Home Again chip, AKC, etc.) in ONLY the 24Petwatch database, via their shelter software, when that chip is searched in AAHA, it will not give the finding organization ANY information that that chip is enrolled in the 24Petwatch database.

The AAHA Microchip Lookup tool will make a guess at the type of microchip it is but it won’t be sure. Here is an example of the tool making a guess at the type of microchip.

AAHA has done a really wonderful thing by creating and maintaining the Microchip Lookup tool but until ALL of the microchip companies cooperate and participate, it won’t have the far-reaching effect it was designed to have.

If a microchip is registered in more than one of the participating databases it will pull up both. The vet or shelter should call the company with the most recently updated information. Here is an example:

Because microchip companies are always trying to build a better mousetrap, many of them have started their own free databases that you can enroll any pet’s microchip information into, even if it wasn’t purchase from them. Some people will do this instead of paying the fee to enroll their pet’s chip into the manufacturer’s database. Bad idea. Some of these companies will probably fail and drift off into the sunset, along with your pet’s data. Some of them are obscure and unless the vet or shelter staff know about them, they may never be checked.

Even if they do seem to be a good, reputable company – you are still probably adding one extra step or phone call for the shelter or vet staff. You need to make it as easy as possible for them to contact you.

Don’t risk it. Always make sure that your pet’s information is enrolled and kept up to date in the manufacturer’s database. That is the best likelihood that your pet will make it safely back home.

Next, we’ll talk about the confusing array of enrollment plans and packages that the microchip companies sell. Do you really need to pay a yearly fee?

Keeping Our Fans Informed!

Since the Chicago City Council and Mayor approved the 3 day stray hold, the Director of Lost Dogs Illinois has made a commitment to try to attend the City of Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) Commissioners Meeting. The meetings are held every two months at CACC starting at 8:30. After the meeting is over, the public is allowed to read a statement or ask questions.

On March 19, our Director read this statement to the Commissioners.

Our Director attended the next scheduled meeting. This is the statement she read: “Since Animal Welfare League and other facilities have been approved to hold Chicago stray animals, aren’t their Return To Owner statistics posted publicly like CACCs.

What are the fees and fines that each facility charges and are they posted publicly like CACC does?
What is the cross communication among these facilities in order to help owners find their lost pets?
Since all these facilities have been approved to hold stray animals for CACC, why are they not required to post photos on the internet or Facebook?”

CACC is supported by Chicago taxpayers. As taxpayers, you have a voice and should not settle for anything less than excellence from CACC. The next meeting is Thursday, July 16^th at CACC.

For more information:

Commissioners Meeting Schedule

Follow-up on to LDI’s Blog “To Hold or Not To Hold”

Posted on LDI’s Post by Page section

Our follow-up to our blog To Hold or Not To Hold – Is it the law? – That is our question

The topic generated a great discussion on our Facebook page. It inspired one of our fans to write an email to the Department of Agriculture. Copy of her email:

“Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me what the legal responsibility is if one finds a lost dog. I have heard you have to do our due diligence in finding the owners before keeping it as a pet or finding it a good home. Specifically, if the dog has a microchip, does the vet or animal control who reads the microchip legally bound to keep the dog while the owners are contacted. Can the finder of the dog, keep it until the owners are contacted. I searched through legislation and your website and could not find information on this. If you can cite any laws or regulations, that would be great. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.”

The response to her email:

“Lost” or stray dogs should be turned over to Animal Control. The Illinois Animal Control Act requires them to scan for a microchip and search for any other identification and then notify the owner. Once the dog is identified, the animal control is then required to allow the owner 7 days to pick up the dog. Keep in mind that people who lose their pet will check with animal control to see if it has been picked up or turned in. If you keep the dog, the owner may never be reunited with their pet.

Mark J. Ernst, D.V.M.

State Veterinarian / Bureau Chief

Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare

Illinois Department of Agriculture

The response to our fan’s email really didn’t answer the question. We would still like to see the law in writing.

Miracles and happy endings do exist!!!

Coqueta was reunited with her family the next day after her mandatory three day stray hold at Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC).

Miracles and happy endings do exist!!! Thanks to the guidance and help from the two animal welfare organizations, Red Door Shelter and New Leash on Life; Coqueta’s Good Samaritan was able to pull Coqueta from CACC and foster her. A team of volunteers distributed fliers and in one night she was reunited when her owners saw one of the posted fliers.

One of Lost Dogs Illinois’s (LDI) concerns with reducing the stray hold from five days to three days was owners would not have time to find their lost dogs. Coqueta’s story verifies this. Many owners who are looking for their dogs do not find them within three days. More time is needed.

A LDI shout out to this special Good Sam who went the extra mile to find Coqueta’s family! Coqueta didn’t need a new home. She just needed to go back home.

Best Friends National Conference… The Way Back Home – Reuniting Pets with Their People

Lost Dogs of America and HelpingLostPets.com are pleased to be presenting at the upcoming 2015 Best Friends National Conference in Atlanta July 16-19.

Our joint presentation “The Way Back Home: Reuniting Pets with Their People” will provide proven strategies to assist shelters and volunteer groups to increase their Return to Owner rates (RTO).
For more information about the conference and register, please visit:http://conference.bestfriends.org

Please like the following pages too:

www.facebook.com/BestFriendsConference
www.facebook.com/lostdogsofamerica
www.facebook.com/HelpingLostPets

PLEASE SUPPORT House Bill 4029 – A Bill That Would Help Reunite More Lost Pets With Their Families

WE NEED TO PASS House Bill 4029

We can’t quite understand it. Why would a common-sense piece of legislation that would require animal shelters to scan all dogs and cats on intake and notify owners be opposed by an animal shelter organization such as the Illinois Animal Welfare Federation?

We can’t figure it out. This Illinois Animal Welfare Act pretty much mirrors the Illinois Animal Control Act, which already requires animal controls to scan all dogs and cats for microchips and notify owners.

510 ILCS 5/10, http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1704&ChapterID=41 Impoundment, redemption for animal control

So why shouldn’t shelters be required to make every attempt to find the owner before placing the animal in another home or facility or euthanizing?

Here’s the new legislation:
See 225 ILCS 605/3.10 new http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=88&GA=99&DocTypeId=HB&DocNum=4029&GAID=13&LegID=90246&SpecSess=&Session=

Seems pretty straightforward. We believe that every facility that shelters animals should seek to verify ownership, even for “owner surrenders” because we can easily imagine scenarios where a disgruntled neighbor, angry ex-spouse or someone who finds an animal could take it to a shelter to relinquish it

This only makes common sense to verify ownership at the initial intake before transferring, adopting or euthanasia. This also allows the opportunity for a family to claim their animal.

During the committee hearing process, the Committee accepts Witness Slips to enter your support of the bill. So please take the few minutes to register per the instructions and send in your electronic witness slip for support. Instructions to register.

Then register your support for the bill through the Illinois General Assembly website.

On the General Assembly’s homepage, click on “GA Dashboard”
Click on “House” in the left hand menu
Click on “Committees”
Scroll down to “Executive Committee”
Click on the gavel icon on the right hand side of the screen to “View committee hearings.”
Click on “View Legislation” box, on the right
Scroll down to HB4029 and click on the “Create Witness Slip” icon, on the far right
Fill out your witness slip and be sure to check “proponent” and “Record of Appearance Only”

The Executive Committee meets this Monday, April 20 at 4:00 pm to consider this bill.

Please register your support by 4:00 on Monday, April 20.

The bill’s sponsors are: Deborah Conroy and Silvana Taberes

Members of the Executive Committee are:

Chairperson: Daniel J. Burke

Robert Rita

Chad Hays

Edward J. Acevedo

Luis Arroyo

Greg Harris

Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr.

Joe Sosnowski

Ed Sullivan