Innovative Scanner Makes it Easier to Reunite Lost Pets

EL PASO, Texas — El Paso Animal Services, in partnership with national partners 24Pet and Best Friends Animal Society, is piloting the first ‘Reunite Site,’ a brand new stand-alone and solar-powered microchip scanner at Salvador Rivas Jr. Park, which is a first-of-its-kind technology aimed at helping community members reunite lost pets with their families.

“We are excited to be the first community in the nation to bring this state-of-the-art technology to the pets and people of El Paso,” said El Paso Animal Services Director Terry Kebschull. “This is a testament to our commitment for developing innovative programs aimed at getting lost pets back home to their families, like we’ve done in the past with Fire Station Microchip Scanning locations and our Pet Finder Map.”

The first 24Pet Reunite Site has been strategically placed at Salvador Rivas Jr. Park because of the large number of lost pets found in that neighborhood. Residents can scan lost or stray pets in the public space, follow the instructions on the corresponding website accessed by QR code, and reunite lost pets often without bringing them into the shelter. Residents can also use the site to ensure their pet is microchipped, learn their pet’s microchip number, and find out where to get their pet microchipped.

The creation of the Reunite Site resulted from the inspiration to provide the accessibility to tools for good Samaritans willing to help reunite lost pets with their families. 24Pet and El Paso Animal Services designed the Reunite Site to be self-sufficient and self-contained. The station operates on solar power and a mobile website accessed by scanning a QR code walks people through the microchip scanning and report filing process.

“Along with microchips and microchip registries, the Reunite Site is another way we can improve the reunification process of lost pets,” said Pethealth Inc. Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Michelle Cole. “And we’re proud to partner with El Paso Animal Services in creating the first-of-its-kind tool. We’re excited to see the impact on the lost pet population in the City of El Paso and other future communities.”

This technology is an added resource to the El Paso community to improve the reunification process of lost pets and keep more pets with their families. Best Friends Animal Society, a national non-profit animal welfare organization, funded the first Reunite Site. 

“We are proud to work in partnership with El Paso Animal Services and 24Pet to fund and pilot this innovative stand-alone microchip scanner in the El Paso community,” said LeeAnn Shenefiel, Regional Director, Best Friends Animal Society.  “Through the Reunite Site, we hope to see lost pets quickly returned to their families without ever having to enter the shelter and that this technology may serve as a model for other communities nationwide.”

El Paso Animal Services plans to install the stand-alone scanner at more locations within the city in the coming months. To learn more about El Paso Animal Services, visit www.elpasoanimalservices.org. 

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