The Kalamazoo County Animal Services & Enforcement Department is getting help from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development to get lost pets back to their owners.

Thanks to a $5,000 grant from MDARD, KCASE is now able to lend eight microchip scanners to local law enforcement agencies. These include the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage, Kalamazoo Township, the villages of Richland and Vicksburg, and the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. The scanners will allow law enforcement to quickly and easily match lost pets with their families.

“With the rising number of animals entering our facilities over the past couple of years, this grant gives a crucial boost to our community’s resources,” Animal Services & Enforcement Director Chad Ensign said. “By equipping local law enforcement with microchip scanners and offering free microchips to the community, we’re making it easier to reunite lost pets with their families right on the spot.”

The MDARD grant also allows KCASE to give 625 microchips free of charge to the community on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We frequently receive calls from patrols after hours that locate dogs while patrolling, and this enables them to take immediate action since Animal Control Officers are only called out for emergency situations. However, it is still important to report lost and found animals to KCASE when holding a found animal,” Ensign said.

If you lose a pet, you are urged to call 269-383-8775 to report it to KCASE. You can also submit a report online. If your pet is microchipped, you are asked to call the microchip company and make a report. You can also report your pet missing to your veterinarian or any veterinarian in the area where you lost your pet.

If you find a lost pet, you are urged to call 269-383-8775 to report it to KCASE. You can also submit a report online. Using the online Kalamazoo County dog license search, you can find the current owner information for the pet. You are also asked to bring your pet in to KCASE or a local veterinarian to scan for a microchip.