Recovery Tips

Signs

If you are not able to locate your pet, you might consider putting signs in your yard and neighborhood with a description that offers a reward for its return. Some well-intended people refuse to turn stray animals over to animal control programs and hold them in the hope that they can find its owner.

Licenses & Identifications

Sometimes, people decide to keep the pet for themselves. Having a license tag affixed to your pet's collar or harness makes it possible for animal control officers to contact the owner.

In addition, if someone finds your pet and they want to return it to you, we can contact you if the pet has a tag number. Collar tags that provide a name and address are available at the Pet Adoption Center and some veterinarians and pet stores. These may be helpful.

Microchip

Unfortunately, collars can come off and tags can fall off collars. But, there is another effective way to identify your pet. Many veterinarians will microchip your pet. All pets placed by the St. Charles County Pet Adoption Center are not only spayed or neutered but are also microchipped before adoption.

This involves inserting a small, non-toxic computer chip under the skin of the animal. The device is not powered but passively responds to a scan with a special scanner by sending an echo that displays a number on the scanner.

The chip is registered through our facility to the animal’s owner. The number can be registered in a worldwide database maintained by the chip manufacturer, if you pay a registration fee to the company. Most animal control programs and private humane agencies have a scanner and routinely scan incoming animals. If a chip is present and returns a number, we can contact you if you have kept your information up to date.

You can also register an alternate contact for times you are on vacation. This is one of the best ways of helping us reunite you with your pet. Collars and tags may fall off, but the chip is permanent.