New Gladewater Microchip Scanner Helps Lost Pets Reunite Faster

(East Texas) A new microchip scanner in Gladewater is helping lost pets become reunited with their owners much sooner. If you've ever tried tracking down a stray dog's owner, you know it can be a challenge.

Why Microchipping Your Pet Matters

As a responsible pet owner, your pet should always wear its vaccination tags along with a tag bearing your name, phone number, and/or address. In the event your pet gets loose and wanders off, they can be returned to you by someone who locates them. To go a step further in protecting your pet, have them microchipped with your information linked to it. Then, if they were to get free and lose their collar with their identification, the microchip can help them with reunification.

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A Personal Story of Pet Safety

It was about a decade ago that my family adopted a cute puppy from the SPCA of East Texas, and as a condition of adoption, we had to take her to get microchipped. So now, if she's ever separated from us, all a vet, animal clinic, a government holding facility, or rescue organization has to do is scan her for her chip to locate our phone number.

It's sad when you see an unfamiliar dog roaming your neighborhood. You want to be the hero and get that dog back home because you know a family is missing them. Without a chip reader, there's no way to know where that dog belongs. You either have to find an open vet or let it continue to wander.

Gladewater’s New Scanner Makes Reuniting Pets Easier

Thanks to a new microchip scanner that is available for public use in Gladewater, access is much easier. So, if you ever find a stray dog or cat, you can take them to the courthouse and use the scanning tool outside to hopefully find their rightful owner and return them.

Judge Tim Bryan posted the picture above in a social media group, letting people know he just discovered this service while arriving at court. He states in the group that he wishes this were available when his dog went missing.

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More East Texas Cities Join the Effort

This is the third such scanner that is available to the public in the Longview area. Jackie Newhouser left a comment on the post stating that there are scanners installed at Toyota of Longview and at the Broughton Recreation Center in Longview for public use. She states this is a partnership with Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center, and it appears that more of these permanent locations could be coming soon.

This convenient service is beneficial to the public because anyone who finds a stray dog or cat can take them to the scanner and do this themselves without having to track down a veterinarian's office that is open or open after hours.

Could Your Town Be Next?

Let's hope that other cities adopt a program like this to make these microchip scanners accessible to residents in Tyler, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Lindale, Rusk, Sulphur Springs, Henderson, and other cities throughout the Piney Woods.