of a missing pet report being filed with the 24/7 emergency call center, dispatchers will notify area police, animal control officers, shelters and veterinary clinics, and a local team of PetRescuers— community residents who've volunteered to be on the lookout for (NAPSA)—Each year, more than 10 million pets becomelost and nearly 90 percent of those pets without identification never make it home. To raise awareness of the millions of lost pets, HomeAgain, a leader in the pet microchip, recovery and safety service, is part- nering with dog lover and “Ugly Betty” star Vanessa Williams to launch the national Bring Pets Home Campaign. Together, HomeAgain and Williams are setting a goal of microchipping and enrolling 2 million pets by the end of this year. “Less than 5 percent of the 145 million pets in the United States benefit from the lifesaving technology of microchipping,” says Williams. “I am so thankful that I microchipped and enrolled my dog Enzo with HomeAgain’s Proactive Recovery Service. Withoutit, I may have never been reunited with my dog.” Reunited Pets of America Campaign Reunited Pets of America is an educational effort that show- lost pets. Dispatchers will share fast, safe and painless. Once your pet is chipped, it’s important to enroll it in a national database such as HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Service. Unfortunately, half of the pets that are chipped are not enrolled in a database. Enrollment in a database offers your pet the best chance to be reunited with you if lost. e Finally, register to become a HomeAgain PetRescuer. By join- chipping plays in saving pets’ lives, with a goal of engaging millions of pet owners to get their pets microchipped and enrolled in the proactive recovery network. The process is easy: ing the HomeAgain PetRescuers, a volunteer network of animal lovers, you can help solve the tragic lost-pet problem. As a PetRescuer you will be alerted through e-mail when a pet goes missing in your area and be encouraged to keep watch and assist in searchefforts. The Proactive Pet Recovery Difference chipped at your local vet’s office. To microchip your pet, a veterinarian implants a tiny chip about the size of a grain of rice just under your pet’s skin and between the blades. Comparable to an Recovery Service offers a unique proactive approach for pet owners that utilizes the same communitywide notification principles originally developed to help locate missing children. Within minutes cases the important role micro- e First, get your pet micro- The HomeAgain Proactive Pet key information, such as the pet’s description, a photo and the owner’s contact information. The service also will instantly generate personalized “Lost Pet” posters for owners to distribute and post in their neighborhood. Beyond relaying basic contact information, the HomeAgain network connects veterinary clinics with shelters to provide a pet’s medical information instanta- neously to the shelter or clinic that makes the initial recovery. For some pets, receiving the appropriate medication while away from home can be crucial. With this network, HomeAgain goes beyond the microchip to proactively hit the streets and search for missing pets—hopefully increasing the chances of reuniting loved pets with their owners. “A common mistake that pet owners makeis that they think their pets won't get lost,” said Dr. Jeff Werber, veterinarian to the stars. “However, one in three will become lost. The best thing you can do is be prepared with a HomeAgain microchip and enroll your pet in the proactive service. To date, HomeAgain is responsible for reuniting almost 400,000 pets with their owners.”
